Until You're Mine
by Zetsubouaichan
Summary: Fujitaka threatened Sakura to marry Syaoran or she could lose her 'Cupcakelicious' bakery. Of course, they hated each other. So, they came out with a new plan - pretend dating. With their families and friends' intervention, will their plan work? SxS ExT
1. Guys look hot wearing pink!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **I was scribbling, and before I knew it, I was writing another fiction. Sure, it's a typical arrange marriage story and stuff. But, I thought I could pull this off and make it a little different. I hope you would enjoy this :)

**Until You're Mine**

**-Chapter 1: Guys look hot wearing pink!-**

"You can't do this, dad," Kinomoto Touya said. There was frustration in his voice. "It wouldn't be fair to her. Mom, you need to say something too!"

Kinomoto Nadeshiko pushed her hair behind her ear and sighed. "What am I supposed to say? You know that once your dad said it's going to happen, then, it's definitely going to happen."

"You're his wife," Touya said. "You could find a way to convince him not to do this."

"Now, stop it you two." Kinomoto Fujitaka finally said after getting tired of hearing his son making a big fuss over his decision. His eyes were fixed on his daughter across him. "I think that it's only fair for Sakura to make her own decision. It's her life."

Touya snickered and rolled his eyes. "And so you say. You're the one who arranged her marriage, aren't you?"

"Stop it, Touya," The auburn haired girl finally said. "I can handle this."

"So, what is your decision?" Fujitaka asked.

Sakura was quiet. She was frowning.

"Just so you know, if you don't agree with this, I'm going to pull all my money invested in your bakery."

"Honey!" Nadeshiko said, shocked.

"Dad!" Touya said. "That's not fair."

"You can't do that to me!" Sakura said.

Fujitaka chuckled. "I can. Trust me."

Sakura bit her lips, thinking on her father proposal. If she accepts, it would probably be the end of her life. But she can't agree to it. What about her feelings then? What about her dreams where someday, she'll meet her knight in shining armor? Her true love? But if she disagrees, she would lose her bakery.

Sakura leaned forward. "Fine. I'll meet him."

"Sakura!" Touya retorted. "What are you saying?"

"But of course," Sakura paused, and licked her bottom lips. "That is all I agree to. I don't want to get engage to him or whatever. I can't get engaged to someone I barely know."

Fujitaka chuckled. "You don't seem to understand me, young miss. I told you that you're going to get married to this man."

Sakura suck a deep breath. "Let's compromise."

Fujitaka studied his daughter face, and nodded.

"How about this, I'll agree to date him for a month. And that is it. If there's no spark of love between us, then the engagement is off. That's the best offer I can give you."

"Fine," Fujitaka said after a long pause. "That's fair enough."

* * *

><p>"You're late." Hiiragizawa Eriol said as he was frosting some chocolate cupcake with vanilla butter cream. "You shouldn't be setting a bad example for your staff."<p>

"I'm sorry. Something came up yesterday. I was unable to sleep," Sakura said as she pulled her baby pink apron over her head. 'Cupcakelicious' was written with hot pink script and white bold. Sakura was in her usual running shoes, jeans and an off white T-shirt. Her auburn hair was combed neatly.

"You're wearing the wrong apron, Eriol," Sakura said, glancing at him. "Everyone wore the same apron. Why can't you wear them like everyone else?"

Unlike everyone else, Eriol was wearing a plain black apron instead.

Eriol snickered. "Me? In pink? I'm a man. It wouldn't fit my personality you know? I wouldn't ever wear them."

"Why not? Steve and Adam wore them too, you know."

"They're gay. Let them be," Eriol replied.

"You know that we could hear you, Eriol!" Steve yelled from the other side.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Guys look hot wearing pink!" she stated.

Eriol glanced at his employer with the corner of his eyes and chuckled.

"I could fire you out for this," Sakura threatened.

Eriol smirked. "You wouldn't dare."

Sakura squinted. "Why is that so?"

"I bake amazing cupcakes, and you know that." Eriol answered. "You wouldn't want me to work for others. It would be bad for your business."

That's true. Hiiragizawa Eriol baked great cupcakes. Every cupcake he baked turned out perfect. Sometimes, Sakura wondered if he had some kind of magic to be able to bake perfect cupcakes every single time.

Sakura rolled her eyes then, she took a clip board hanging on the wall, and started inventory. Flour, check. Sugar, check. Baking powder, check. Baking soda, check. Cocoa powder, check. Butter, check. Cream, check. Assorted chocolate, check. Assorted flavoring, check.

"Valentine's day is coming," Eriol said. "What are we baking? And please, no pink."

Sakura laughed. "Well, I was thinking of vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling and white chocolate butter cream. Or maybe chocolate cupcakes with red and white swirled cheese cream frosting. It's going to look pretty," Sakura squinted. "Did you have any other idea?"

Eriol adjusted his glasses with the back of his hand. "How about rose flavored cupcakes? No one in Tomoeda did that. It could be our special."

"That sounds great," Sakura clapped her hand in enthusiasm.

Eriol smiled. "What about the decoration?"

"I bought some heart shaped edible sugars last week. We could use those," Sakura said. "We could use some chocolate covered strawberries too."

"We could use red rose petals as decoration too," Eriol suggested.

Sakura nodded. "That would make it look a bit romantic," Sakura agreed.

"Sakura!" a familiar voice called.

Sakura twisted around, and found her cousin/best friend; Daidouji Tomoyo was standing a meter away behind her. She was holding a bag with one hand, and a cupcake on the other. Sakura quickly identify that is her red velvet cupcakes. Tomoyo must have grabbed them on the counter.

"I heard what happened last night from Touya," Tomoyo said. Her face showed concern. "Are you alright?"

Eriol looked up from frosting cupcakes, and frowned. "What happened last night?"

"She's engaged," Tomoyo announced.

Eriol raised an eyebrow. "You never told me that."

Sakura sucked in some air. "I'm not engaged. Well, at least, not yet."

"Wait." Tomoyo squinted. "You seem calm. I thought you would be frustrated or something."

Sakura sighed and turned to his friend/cousin. "What am I supposed to do? Praying won't do it, hating won't do it,  
>drinking won't do it..."<p>

"All time low," Eriol said, identifying the lyrics.

"And you never drink, Sakura," Tomoyo said.

Sakura giggled. "Well, it's not like I could change anything by throwing tantrum. My dad blackmailed me to do this. He said that if I don't agree with this, he would pull his money out of Cupcakelicious."

Tomoyo gasped.

"That's not fair," Eriol said.

"That's what we said too," Sakura retorted. Then, she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"So, you're going to get engage with him?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, not really," Sakura said. "I made a deal with my dad. Instead of getting a fiancé, I told my dad that I was going to date him for a month. If it's not working, then the engagement is off."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Smart. You could plan something to boycott your dates too. We're going to help you, aren't we, Eriol?"

Eriol nodded. "So, who's the lucky guy?" Eriol asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Well, my dad mentioned that he's half Chinese, half Japanese. I think, his name is Li Syaoran, or something like that."

* * *

><p>"Mother!" Li Syaoran called.<p>

"What?"

"You can't do this to me," Syaoran said.

"Oh, but I can," Li Yelan said. "And I did."

Syaoran sighed. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"You're not getting any younger! You're twenty five! It's an appropriate age to get married," Yelan replied.

"If you wanted me to get married, I could find myself a wife. I don't need you to find one for me," Syaoran debated.

"Really, Syaoran? Really?" His mother snapped. "Every day, you've been staying in the hospital all day. You made the hospital your home! Now, when did you have time to find yourself a wife? And I've been telling you to get a girlfriend a million times. Did you find one? No! You've been giving the same excuse every time."

"I'm a doctor. I'm always on call," Syaoran answered. "I don't have time."

"So, you're admitting that you don't have time to find me a daughter-in-law?" Yelan sneered.

Syaoran suck in some air. He didn't know how to calm his mother rage now. "I don't mean it like that."

"Syaoran," his mother called softly. "I'm not getting any younger too. I wanted to see my grandchild before I died."

Syaoran chuckled. He wanted to say that his sister, Fanren, Fuutie, Feimei and Shiefa had given her mother a total number of seven grandchildren. But he was sure that if he had said that, her mother would be irritated. And this argument could last forever.

"I want someone to take care of you," Yelan spoke. "Is that too much to ask?"

Syaoran sighed in defeated. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll meet her if that makes you happy."

Yelan smiled. "You're going to marry her."

"Mother! I said I'm going to meet her. If she's not my type, I won't marry her," Syaoran said. "You don't want me to spend the rest of my life with a girl I can't get along with, do you? You don't want me to suffer all my life, right?"

Yelan frowned. She was thinking. "Alright."

**- End of chapter 1: Guys look hot wearing pink! **-

**Author's Note:** What do you think? Is it good? Is it bad? I wanted to know what my readers think. How could I make this a better story? And, what do you wanted to see in this story. Please tell me by clicking the review button. Of course, if none of you were interested in this story, I'll drop this project.


	2. We are not having this discussion!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **I wanted to thank to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorite story and story alert. You have no idea how happy you made me. I also liked to thank to everyone who been giving me feedback and questions for me to ponder. It helped me a lot. Thanks again.

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**-Chapter 2: We are not having this discussion! -**

"Mom," Sakura called.

"Yes, dear?" Nadeshiko answered. She was in her daughter's room, picking up some dirty clothes.

"Why is it that dad was so eager to get me married?" Sakura asked. "He went as far as threatening to pull his money from my bakery. And he never did anything like this before," Sakura said. She bit her lips, and turned to face her mother. "He's not in debt to some loan shark, is he? I'd rather lose my bakery than see dad in trouble."

Nadeshiko laughed and sat on the bed. "Of course, not honey. You're being silly."

"Then, why is it?" Sakura asked impatiently.

Nadeshiko studied her daughter's face, and sighed. "Your father cares too much for you, you know that right?"

Sakura nodded.

"He only wanted the best for you," Nadeshiko added.

Sakura squinted. "By handing me in marriage to some guy I didn't know?" Sakura sighed. She was frustrated. She didn't like the idea of arranged marriage. Arrange marriage was so out dated. "Who is this Li Syaoran, anyway?"

"Well," her mother paused. "He's a son of a friend. I've met him a few times. He's a really nice kid. In fact, you've met him before."

Sakura frowned. "I did?"

"Yes," Nadeshiko nodded. "When you were both five," She joked.

"Mom!" Sakura said, and sighed.

Nadeshiko smiled, and stroked her daughter hair. "Well, we the Li's and used to be neighbors. They helped us a lot when we were in trouble. You know that your grandfather was so against our marriage, right?"

Sakura nodded. She heard the story quite a few times. How their parents met, how they got married, and how their grandfather was against it because her mother was so young back then. Their grandfather finally gave his consent when he saw how happy his daughter was with their father.

"Things were pretty hard back then. We were pretty much lost when your brother was born. We didn't know what to do. Your father didn't have lots of money back then. He was a school teacher. The Li's were really nice. The Li's loaned us some money. They recommended your father to his friends. That's how your father got to be a professor," Nadeshiko explained.

Sakura sighed again. She felt a bit pressured.

"Yelan taught me many things about babies," Nadeshiko said. "She was experienced. She already had four daughters. We got really close when we were both pregnant. I'm with you, and she's with Syaoran. But, then, they had to move to Hong Kong when they got a job offer. It wasn't until a year ago that they moved back to Tomoeda."

"Why can't Touya married one of the daughters then?" Sakura suggested.

"They're all already married," Nadeshiko smiled to her daughter. "Yelan was worried that her son would stay single forever. We thought it would be nice if we became family," She said. "Look, I know that you don't like this whole marriage thing. But I wanted you to be nice to Syaoran tomorrow, alright?"

Sakura sighed.

"Just because you don't like the idea, doesn't mean that you should treat him badly." Nadeshiko advised. "You've promised your dad that you're going to see him for a month, right? So, you have to keep your promise."

"But-"

"If both of you have absolutely no chemistry, I'll help you convince your them that the marriage should not go on," Nadeshiko told her.

Sakura smiled. "Really? You'll do that?"

"Yes," Nadeshiko nodded. "But, for now, why don't you follow what your father said. Be a good girl. There's nothing wrong with a small meeting. It's not like you're going to lose anything. Who knows, maybe the two of you would hit it off?"

Sakura stared at her fingers. She was contemplating. "You're right. There's nothing wrong with a meeting."

Nadeshiko smiled at her daughter. "Now, that's my girl."

Sakura smiled faintly at her mother as she stood up, and headed to the door.

"One more advice," Nadeshiko said.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Absolutely no sex on your first date," Nadeshiko said.

Sakura's eyes widened and she shrieked. "Mom!"

"In fact, you must not have sex before you're married," Nadeshiko added.

Sakura gasped. "Oh my god, Mom! We are _not_ having this discussion!"

**xXx**

"You're going on that date?" Daidouji Tomoyo asked as she walked in to the kitchen. She was holding a raspberry cupcake with lemon butter cream on one hand. On her lips were smudges of the lemon butter cream.

Sakura nodded. "Yep. I'm leaving as soon as I finished this," Sakura said. She was popping the last batch of green tea cupcakes into the oven.

Tomoyo took a glance at Eriol, who was busy filling the cupcake liners with chocolate cake batter using an ice cream scoop. "I thought that we were going to sabotage this arrange marriage idea?"

"Oh, no!" Sakura shook her head furiously. "We are not going to sabotage this first date. I promised my mom I'd be nice. So, I'm going to meet this guy, and see what he looks like. He could be a really good looking."

Tomoyo nodded. "So, what are you wearing? You're not going with that outfit, are you?" Tomoyo asked. She was referring to Sakura's blue jeans, and grey short sleeved shirt.

"Of course not." Sakura snorted. "I'm going to change into some dress I brought with me," Sakura said. "It's in my locker."

Tomoyo walked to the changing room, and opened Sakura's locker. There's a black long sleeved summer dress hanging in the closet. Tomoyo took the dress, and studied the dress for a few second. There's a grey French lace along the hem. Tomoyo hung the dress, and walked to the kitchen.

"Hold on a minute. I have something better." She said, before she walked out of the bakery, and headed across the street to her boutique. She browsed through some dress, and finally decided on an ankle length ivory dress with baby pink daisies lining on the waist. Tomoyo picked up a baby pink cardigan with small flower brooch to match with the dress. She walked out, and headed to Sakura's bakery across the street.

"What is that?" Sakura asked as she saw her walked in with a dress.

"Pink goes really well with you, Sakura," Tomoyo said. "You should definitely wear this."

"I have a dress," Sakura pointed.

"You could wear it on my funeral. Not on this date. Not on any date, _ever_," Tomoyo argued and turned to Eriol. "What do you think, Eriol? This one is much prettier, right?"

Eriol looked up, and studied the dress on Tomoyo's hand. "I'm not a fashion expert," He said. "But, yeah, I bet you would look pretty in it, Sakura."

"Alright. I'll wear it," Sakura said and took the dress from Tomoyo. She went to the changing room, took a quick shower and changed into the dress. Then, she applied some light makeup to her face, and applied some lip balm and lip gloss.

"Not bad," Tomoyo said, checking Sakura out as she walked to them.

"Thank you," Sakura said. She picked up her purse, and turned to her friends. "I should go now. I don't want to be late, and give off a bad first impression on my first date. Eriol, you take care of everything while I'm not here, alright? If there's any emergency, you could call me, or find me in Petit Café."

"Alright," Eriol nodded.

Tomoyo walked Sakura to the door, and watched her disappear behind the block. Then, she walked into the kitchen, and stared at Eriol for a couple second. "We should follow her," She said.

Eriol looked up from sprinkling the banana split cupcakes with chocolate rice. "I thought Sakura said that she didn't want to mess up the first date," Eriol reminded her.

"True," Tomoyo nodded. "But aren't you curious how his fiancé looked like? We're her friends. We should at least look at his fiancé, and approve him. And we could make some preparation to help her get away from this mess in case he's a jerk, and there's a second date."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Eriol said. "Besides, I have to take care of the bakery."

"Forget about the bakery. Aren't you worried about our Sakura?" Tomoyo said as she pulled Eriol's arms.

"W-wait!"

"Steve, please take care of the bakery for us. And do not tell Sakura about this," Tomoyo shouted from the exit.

Tomoyo hailed a cab, and instructed the driver to pull over a block away from the café. She peek into the window glass, and noticed that Sakura was inside, drinking her tea. She pulled Eriol into the café, and chose the booth on the back. It was a perfect spot for them to observe Sakura and guest coming in and out. A waitress came over, and took their order.

"Eriol, why are you still in your apron?" Tomoyo said, after the waitress walked away.

Eriol adjusted his glasses. "Well, you pulled me away from the bakery, remember?" he said, as he untie his apron. Then, he folded it neatly, and placed the apron on the table.

Tomoyo smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I went a little excited."

Eriol smiled as he saw Tomoyo cheek turned slightly pink. Tomoyo may be a little crazy when she worries about Sakura, but Eriol thought that her craziness makes her looked cute. Eriol make a sound of clearing his throat to snap himself out of his mind, and turned his attention to Sakura. "She didn't see us, did she?" Eriol asked.

Tomoyo stared at Sakura for a couple second. "I hope not. She's not going to be happy when she knew that we were following her."

"What is she doing?" Eriol asked. He squinted, and saw Sakura shoved a small piece of cake into her throat, and took a note on every bite she had. And there were at least three types of cakes on her table.

"I think she's taste testing the café's desserts. She brings that small notebook everywhere." Tomoyo said, rolling her eyes. "She seems relaxed," Tomoyo said after a long pause.

Eriol shrugged. "Maybe she got it all planned out. Maybe she had an idea how to get out from the situation."

"Maybe," Tomoyo agreed. "Don't you think her date's late? It's been thirty minutes, and he hasn't showed up. It's only the first date, and his record doesn't seem that good. This guy is going to be trouble. Trust me."

**xXx**

"Have Miss Suzuki finally made her decision on the operation?" Syaoran asked.

Yoshiyuki Terada looked up from checking his patient's record, and turned to his subordinate. It has been two years since he became Li Syaoran's supervisor. "Well, yes," Terada said. "Her parents convinced her to get the operation. They were really worried about their daughter. After all, she's their only child."

Syaoran nodded. "I'm glad. I was really worried when she refused to have the surgery. She could go permanently blind if she's still stubborn with the operation."

"You're going to be a good doctor, Syaoran," Terada smiled and left Syaoran at the reception.

"Li," Yamazaki Takashi called. He walked out from a patient's room, and walked towards Syaoran. He wore a lab coat on his blue shirt, and a stethoscope was hanging on his neck. "I thought you had a date. Aren't you going?"

Syaoran widened his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Five more minutes until one o'clock." Yamazaki said, as he glanced on his wrist watch.

"Shit," Syaoran cursed. "I'm late. My mother is going to kill me," He said and dashed to the elevator as fast as he could.

**xXx**

Eriol was sipping his Darjeeling when Tomoyo gave him a nudge on his waist. "Is that him?" Tomoyo asked. She was referring to a man in his late twentieth that just came in through the entrance. He was wearing a white shirt, and khakis. His black hair was hidden under a cap.

Eriol stared at the man for a few second, and turned his attention back on his tea. "I don't think so," He said after a sip. "He doesn't look like a man who came for a date."

"You're right," Tomoyo agreed when the man sat a few tables away from Sakura. "What do you suggest Sakura's fiancé would look like?" she asked.

"Well," Eriol paused. "This is his first date, and he's already late for it. So, I thought that he would come in looking anxious. He would ask the waitress where his date is, assuming he never met her before."

"Like that guy?" Tomoyo said, referring to a man in pale blue shirts and black slack. He had brown messy hair. He stood in front the entrance and stopped at the reception. He was talking with one of the waitress.

"Probably," Eriol shrugged.

The waitress then pointed him to Sakura, and the man in the blue shirt marched towards her. He asked Sakura something, and pulled a chair across her.

"Oh my god!" Tomoyo said with her eyes widened. "It's the fiancé!"

"I'm aware of that, Tomoyo," Eriol said.

The duo watched their friend and her fiancé from the distance and covered their face with the café's menu when Sakura turned her head towards their direction.

"She didn't notice us, did she?" Tomoyo asked.

Eriol peeked from his menu, and shook his head. "No, I don't suppose she did."

"This sucks," Tomoyo said. Her eyes were still glued on Sakura. "We can't really hear what they're talking about. I should have planted a listening device on Sakura if I knew this would happen.  
>Should we get closer to them?" Tomoyo asked.<p>

"Sakura might notice us," Eriol replied.

Tomoyo nodded. "You're right. I should definitely design some clothes for our stakeout next time."

Eriol turned to his partner and laughed nervously.

**xXx**

"You're late." Sakura said as soon as her date slumped down on his chair.

Syaoran sighed. "I'm sorry." He said half-heartedly. "I had a few patients."

"So, you're a doctor." Sakura said, smiling. She didn't like Syaoran's tone, but told herself that the man was probably tired, and he didn't mean to apologize half-heartedly on his tardiness.

"Yes, I am." Syaoran nodded. "Let's cut the chase, shall we?"

Sakura smile ended. Her left eyebrow went up instead. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted you to tell my mother that you didn't want this marriage." Syaoran told her.

Sakura chuckled. She had the exact same thinking. She hated the arrange marriage idea too. "I-"

"How much do you want?" Syaoran asked, cutting Sakura off from saying anything.

Sakura frowned. "What?" She said in disbelief.

"That's what you're after, right?" Syaoran paused. "My family's wealth."

"What? I'm what?" Sakura snapped. She studied his face and mumbled, "You have got to be kidding me." Sakura took a deep breath, trying to control her anger from bursting. She was perplexed. She was told by her parents to attend this so called date, and the man had done nothing but insulted her. "Why would I do that?"

Syaoran shrugged. "You tell me."

"Li," Sakura said and chuckled. "I may not be rich. But I'm not into your family wealth as you claimed I am."

Syaoran leaned forward, leaving a few centimeters gap between them. "You smelled like vanilla."

Sakura frowned, and leaned back on her chair. She was stunned for a bit by Syaoran's comment. "I'm a pastry chef. I owned a cupcake shop, and I baked every day." She explained.

"So, you people basically contribute people with diabetic and obesity with your cupcakes then?" Syaoran said.

"No," Sakura said firmly. "I gave them happiness and smiles." She was still frowning. She didn't like the way Syaoran been referring her and the others pastry chef's as you people. She was definitely annoyed.

Syaoran shrugged, and leaned on his chair.

"That's it. Are you always like this?" Sakura asked as she squinted. "Is insulting people your hobby or something?"

"What?" Syaoran retorted.

"And if I did give them those diseases, you should be thanking me." Sakura said. "Because I've been giving you people business, you pompous jerk." Sakura said, shook her head in disbelief, stood up off her chair, and headed for the exit.

**xXx**

"Whoa!" Tomoyo said. "It's their first date, and he's trying to kiss her already."

Eriol turned to Sakura, and saw Syaoran leaning forward, leaving a few centimeters away between them. Then, he saw Sakura lean back and cross her arms. "And it looks like Sakura doesn't like  
>what he's trying to do."<p>

They both watched Sakura shook her head, stood up of her chair, and headed for the door.

"She's leaving," Eriol said. "That was a short date."

"I told you he would be trouble," Tomoyo said.

**- End of chapter 2: We are not having this discussion! **-

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, what do you think of the second chapter? Is it good? Or am I destroying the story already? I'm quite worried that I messed up with the story, actually. Any constructive feedbacks are welcome! Thanks for reading guys.

P.s: I love imagining Eriol baking and frosting cupcakes. Anyone shared the same imagination as mine? :p


	3. You scared me to death!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **I don't know where to start. I'd like to thank my readers and people who reviewed chapter 2. I'm really happy :) I think their date was short too! I wanted them to insult each other a bit more, but I can't think of any insult. :P Anyway, I'd like to thank Sakura-chan Master of the Clow for beta. Happy reading ~

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**- Chapter 3: You scared me to death! –**

"I'm sorry," Yelan said for the umpteenth time.

"You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault," Nadeshiko said. "They're young and impulsive. They didn't know what they were doing."

Yelan stared at her fingers. She seemed troubled. "But, I'm sure it's my son's fault. My source told me that he came in really late, and within five minutes, he managed to say something that would upset Sakura."

"Your source?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Yes," Yelan nodded. "One of the waitresses was someone I know. What kind of date lasts for five minutes?"

Fujitaka chuckled, and sipped some tea.

"Maybe they weren't meant together?" Nadeshiko proposed. She was trying to make both Yelan and her husband forget the idea of their children's marriage. After all, she did promise her daughter.

Nadeshiko remembered how her daughter was so upset last night when she asked her about the date. She called Syaoran an arrogant jerk, a stuck up and a snob. She's not really sure what happened on the date, but she was really sure that something bad happened. After all, Sakura was such a soft person. She wouldn't talk badly about a person, unless if she was really, really angry.

"You're right. Maybe they weren't," Yelan said, and sighed.

Fujitaka adjusted his glasses and lean forward. "Or, maybe, we didn't go about this the right way?"

"What do you mean?" Nadeshiko and Yelan said in unison.

"Well," Fujitaka paused. "Maybe we shouldn't have let those two met alone. Let's not forget that they both didn't like the idea of this arrange marriage. Maybe what we should do was to let them met with our presence. That way, they wouldn't dare to try and pull anything funny."

"Are you suggesting that we should let them meet again?" Nadeshiko asked. "Why not?" Fujitaka said.

"What if it doesn't work out?" Nadeshiko asked. She was nervous. She knew what her husband was trying to do. She likes Yelan and the idea of them becomes in-law. But she was worried. She wanted her daughter to be happy. After all, Sakura did say that she would rather loan with some bank, or worse, loan shark to save her bakery instead of meeting Syaoran again.

"We should try, and see what happen next." Fujitaka suggested.

"You think so?" Yelan said.

"Yes. I believe that they started off with the wrong foot and they deserve a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance. What do you think, Yelan?"

Yelan smiled. "I think that's a great idea."

* * *

><p>Eriol was glancing on his employer measuring some flour. Sakura looked normal, he thought.<p>

Early this morning, Tomoyo had called him, and instruct him to observe Sakura every now and then. Tomoyo was worried that Sakura might be upset. Tomoyo told him that Sakura called her last night, and told her what happened in that date.

"What?" Sakura said staring at Eriol with her hands on her hips.

"Nothing," Eriol shook his head and continue to work on the fondant.

"If you're curious about my date, it didn't go well," Sakura said as she continued measuring some sugar. "We don't have to plan anything to sabotage my upcoming dates. Isn't that wonderful news?"

Eriol wasn't sure what to say, so he nodded and continue to shape the fondant into a duck for the baby shower cupcakes. He brushed some tylo glue to glue the head and body.

"Did you know what upset me so much?" Sakura said.

Eriol looked up. "What?"

"He offered me some money to cancel the stupid engagement," Sakura said. "He said that I was after his family wealth."

Eriol saw Adam's head popping from the front kitchen. He was frowning and shook his head. Eriol nodded in return and turned to Sakura. "You might want to quiet down a bit or the customers would hear you."

"You're right," Sakura said and took a deep breath to calm herself. Sakura took 250gm of butter, 4 numbers of eggs, 2 tbsp of vanilla essences, 360gm self raising flour, 1 cup of milk, 340gm of sugar and a pinch of salt and dumped them into her Kitchen Aid mixer. Then, she turned the mixer to medium speed. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've never met anyone like him before. It's upsetting." (These are the basic recipe for vanilla cupcakes! Mix everything, and bake for 15 minutes at 180 Celsius.)

"You okay?" Eriol asked.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "Now that the engagement is off, I will be." Sakura turned off the mixer, scraped the side, and turned them on again. "I just hope that I wouldn't have to see him again."

Eriol nodded. "I understand. If I were you, I would have slapped him real hard or splashed some water on his face."

"I wished I did that too," Sakura chuckled. "Where is Tomoyo anyway? It's weird that she didn't stop by and grab some cupcakes."

"She told me that she had some meeting with her client," Eriol said. "And she wants you to save two boxes of cinnamon swirl cupcakes for her. It's for her client. I've jotted down her order on the board."

Sakura turned off the mixer, and stared at Eriol for a few second. "You should really tell her how you feel," She said, smiling.

Eriol froze. "Tell what?"

"Come on. I've noticed the way you look at Tomoyo, Eriol," Sakura said. "You like her."

Eriol sighed. "Do you think she noticed that too?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't think she did. I'm sorry to say this, but her mind is always preoccupied with me."

"Yes," Eriol chuckled. "So, that makes you my rival."

"It's nothing like that," Sakura laughed. "She worries too much about me and she loves dressing me up in her latest creation. But, I'm sure if you tell her how you feel she would gladly accept."

Eriol raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "Honestly, I think she liked you too."

Eriol smiled.

"What did I miss?"

Sakura turned around and saw her cousin/best friend stand behind her. "Tomoyo! You scared me to death!" She shrieked. Her right hand was on her chest.

Tomoyo squinted. "Were you two talking behind my back?"

"Of course not," Eriol said calmly. "I just told her that you ordered two boxes of Cinnamon swirl cupcakes, and here you are. You know, in some countries, it is believed that when someone unexpectedly becomes present during a conversation, that someone will have a long life."

"Okay," Tomoyo said as she turned to Sakura. "Seriously, what did I miss?"

* * *

><p>"You are so dead, Li Syaoran." A familiar, female voice said through the phone.<p>

Syaoran frowned. "Who's this?"

The other line sighed. "It's Fanren, your sister. Don't you have any caller ID?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "I pressed the green button without even looking. Why are you calling?"

"You brat, is this how you talked to your sister?" Fanren said and sighed. "Never mind that. I called to inform you how upset your mother was with you."

"About that date?" Syaoran asked. He took a chair, and sat down. He figured that the engagement would be off now that he had upset that girl. And he knew that his mother would be displeased. After that rendezvous, he decided to spend the night in the hospital just to get away from his mother.

"Yes."

"It wasn't my fault," Syaoran defended himself. "She's the one who walked away. Not me."

"Ha, ha, ha," Fanren faked a laugh. "Very funny, Syaoran. Although, there's something you need to know."

"What?" Syaoran said impatiently.

"Do you remember Sugata-san who worked with us?"

Syaoran frowned as he was trying to figure out who Sugata is. "Mother's housekeeper? Yeah," he finally said after a pause.

"Her daughter worked in Petit Café," Fanren said. "Mother made her an informant, and she reported everything to her. Let me tell you this, Syaoran, your side of the story didn't sound pretty."

Syaoran bit his lower lips. "So, that's why Mother arranged me to meet her in that café. I should have thought that."

"I have another bad news for you," Fanren said.

Syaoran sighed. He knew that he would get into trouble. He had heard that her mother wasn't happy with what he did yesterday. What other bad news could his sister could probably deliver? "What is it now?"

"You are going to that girl's house today and apologize for your action." Fanren said.

"What?" Syaoran shouted.

"Chill," Fanren said from the other line. "Are you trying to make me deaf?"

Syaoran swallowed his saliva. "Why?"

"Don't forget that you're the one who made the girl upset." Fanren said. "It's only natural that you should be the one apologizing."

Syaoran took a deep breath. "Is there any way that I could get out from this situation?" He asked.

Fanren clicked her tongue. "Apparently, no!"

Syaoran groaned.

"Listen," Fanren said. "I will pick you up at six. And, there's no way for you to get away from this. So don't try to lie and say that you have any patient, because we've checked with your supervisor, Terada."

Syaoran's mouth gaped open. He hasn't thought that her mother would go that far.

"Let me give you an advice, Syaoran," Fanren said. "Don't mess this thing. Don't disappoint mother. She was already upset when you decided to be a doctor instead of taking over the business."

Syaoran swallowed his saliva, and sighed in defeated. "Fine. I'll meet you at six."

* * *

><p>Kinomoto Nadeshiko was standing beside the refrigerator. She was watching her husband preparing some nikujaga, a potato and meat stew. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail, and tapped her fingers on the kitchen counter.<p>

"Relax," Fujitaka chuckled as he glanced at his wife. "Everything will be alright."

"I'm not sure if we're doing the right thing, that's all," Nadeshiko sighed. "What if we mess up Sakura's future by doing this?"

Fujitaka turned to his wife, and smiled. "Nobody said that it's going to be love at the first sight between those two. It might take some effort to make this happen and we should hope for the best."

Nadeshiko passed a serving dish to her husband. "Don't you think that we're forcing the kids?"

Fujitaka scooped some nikujaga into the serving dish. "We're not forcing them. What we do is plan, and watch what is going to happen. How could they know that they weren't meant for each other if they don't try?"

"I'm not sure. I've got a bad feeling about all this," Nadeshiko said. She took the serving dish, and sprinkled some spring onion on top of the nikujaga. "You did tell Sakura that we're having guest for dinner, didn't you?"

Fujitaka took off his apron, and shook his head. "I thought you would tell her."

"Well, I didn't tell her," Nadeshiko said. "I thought it would be better if we didn't tell her anything. I'm afraid that she would go berserk."

Fujitaka chuckled. "Well, thank god Touya won't be having dinner with us. Or else, I don't know what would've happen."

The married couples heard the front door creaked open and looked at each other.

Nadeshiko took the dishes out from the kitchen, and saw her daughter stand in the living room. She was having some kind of staring contest with one of their guests, Li Syaoran. Sakura turned when she heard footsteps behind her and stared at her parents.

"Mom?" She said frowning. Her face showed that she wanted an explanation.

"Sakura, be nice to our guest," Fujitaka said and turned to their guest. "I'm sorry." He said to Syaoran, Yelan, and Fanren. "We haven't told her that we would be having guest for dinner."

"That's okay," Yelan said, smiling. Then, she turned to her son.

Syaoran took a deep breath, and stood up. "We need to talk," He said to Sakura.

Sakura drop her bag behind the door and stared at Syaoran for a couple beats. She crossed her arms and led him outside. "What do you want?" She asked. Her eyes were glaring.

"Look," Syaoran said and sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did yesterday. You're right. I was being a jerk. But, I thought you were like the other girls."

Sakura clenched her teeth and nodded. "Apology accepted. Can I go now?"

"No," Syaoran said. "It seem like you didn't accept my apology."

"You're right," Sakura grouched. "I was saying that because I was hoping that I didn't have to see your face again."

Syaoran nodded. He understood why the girl was still angry. "I love the idea of not meeting each other again. But I have to tell you that that is impossible," He said as he glanced towards the house to make sure nobody's spying on them. "I'm guessing that your parents haven't told you this, but they're still planning our engagement."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You're joking!"

Syaoran shook his head. "I wish I was. But I don't. They were discussing about it before you came back."

Sakura bit her lips. She was trying to process what she just heard.

"You don't like the idea," Syaoran uttered.

"Of course I don't." Sakura snapped. She wasn't sure what Syaoran told her was the truth.

"Neither do I," Syaoran said. "Let's think this rationally. The way I see it, my mother dragging me to come over your house means that she really wishes for the engagement to happen."

Sakura took a deep breath. "Fine. Give me a million Yen, and tell your mother that I'm just like any other girl. Would that work?" Sakura said. She would rather have her father pulled away his investment in her bakery rather than engaged to this arrogant jerk. But of course, if she had a million Yen, she wouldn't have to worry about her bakery.

Syaoran smirked. "I'm afraid that it doesn't work that way."

"Then what are you suggesting?" Sakura asked impatiently. Her hand was on her hips.

"We need to cooperate and think of something. We need to help each other," Syaoran said. "I've overheard your father mentioned something about dating for a month. Why haven't you mentioned that before?"

Sakura giggled. "I tried to. However, let's not forget what you did as soon as you came to the café yesterday."

"Right," Syaoran said. "I'm sorry. But my point is, my mother seem to think that it was a good idea for us to get to know each other before the engagement. I'm sure that they would bring up this matter during dinner."

Sakura glanced on the man before her and took a deep breath. "Are you saying that we would date each other for a month?" Sakura took a deep breath. "I don't want to."

Syaoran clenched his teeth. "You think I want to date you? I don't really have time for all this. But frankly, I would prefer dating rather than being engaged."

"I prefer none," Sakura mumbled.

"That's not an option, although I wish it was," Syaoran said. "I have a proposal."

"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I think we should agree with them if they bring up the dating thing," Syaoran said. "But of course, we don't have to seriously date each other. Let's just pretend that we're dating. We could deceive them by telling them that we're having a date when we're not. When a month passes, we tell them that we are not suitable for each other. That way, our parents wouldn't say anything more on the subject."

"I get your point," Sakura said.

"So," Syaoran said as he pulled out his hand for a shake. "Do we have a deal?"

Sakura stared at Syaoran's hand for a few second and squinted. She wasn't sure if this would be a good decision. "I'm not sure."

Syaoran pulled his hand back and sighed. "So you would prefer to be my fiancée?"

"Of course not," Sakura said.

"Look," Syaoran paused. "I don't know about your parents. But when my mother was determined for something to happen, she will make sure that it happens. Do you realize what kind of situation are you in?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip. "Alright," She said and nodded. "But of course, before we have a deal, we should set a few ground rules first."

"You're right," Syaoran agreed.

"Within this period, you must not insult me in any way," Sakura stated. "In fact, we're not do anything that would offend each other."

Syaoran took out his iPhone, and type something on it. "And of course, we shall not tell anyone about this agreement."

"Not even my close friends?" Sakura said, raising an eyebrow.

Syaoran shook his head. "Nope."

"But that's the problem," Sakura said. "I've told a couple of friends what I planned to do."

"What?"

"I'm the one who came out with the idea," Sakura said. "It's only natural that I tell my friends what I plan to do. Although they don't know that you're agreeing to play along."

Syaoran sighed. "Alright. Just make sure that they won't tell a soul."

Sakura nodded. "Don't worry. I trusted them," Sakura sighed. "Within this period, both of us should participate in each others activities or at least inform each other so we would have a matching story for our parents. Or else, we could blow our cover.

"Agree," Syaoran said. "Neither of us shall seduce or fall for each other."

Sakura chuckled. "That, you don't have to worry. I have absolutely no intention to seduce or fall for you."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Neither do I."

"Physical contact only allowed in any family members' presence," Sakura said. "But, absolutely no kissing or hanky-panky allowed."

"Such thing would never happen," Syaoran said, smirking. "Do you have any other things you might want to add?"

"Not at the moment," Sakura replied.

"Good," Syaoran said.

"We need to set something as compensation in case any of us breach the agreement," Sakura suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" Syaoran asked.

"If any of us violate the contract, we need to pay the other party exactly one million yen," Sakura said.

Syaoran squinted. "What is it with you and a million Yen?"

"Look," Sakura said. "I don't know what you would lose if your mother knew we had this agreement, but if my father learns about this, he would pull his investment on my bakery. And I would need _that _money to save my bakery."

"Alright, I got it," Syaoran took a deep breath. "Do we have this deal?" He asked as he pulled out his hand for a shake.

Sakura shook his hand and nodded. "Deal."

* * *

><p><strong>- End of chapter 3: <strong>**You scared me to death!**-

**Author's Note:** How was chapter 3? It's only chapter three and I feel like it's the beginning of everything. Things are moving slowly. I definitely hope that I would make this a good humor/romance story, though. I hope my readers would share a little bit of their thought on my story – so that I would improve. In other words, please review :)

P.s: Do any of you love baking cupcakes?


	4. Cupcake, I am a doctor!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**- Chapter 4: Cupcake, I am a doctor!–**

Hiiragizawa Eriol was dressed in black T-shirt, navy blue jeans and his usual black apron. He was arranging assorted flavor cupcakes on the display case. There's some carrot, cookies n cream and banana split cupcakes on his tray.

"Eriol, I'm telling you, we're back in this game, "Tomoyo said almost whispering. She took some cupcakes from Eriol's tray and started helping him sorting some cupcakes on the display case.

There weren't many customers that morning, and Sakura was out for ingredient hunting. The other staffs were working in the back kitchen, except for Risa and Akari who were chatting at the counter. Tomoyo thought that this would be the perfect timing to discuss their plan in helping her cousin/best friend, Sakura.

"What game?" Eriol asked back. He raised an eyebrow.

"Sabotaging Sakura's dates of course," Tomoyo said. Her eyes widened. "I've designed a couple outfits for our next stakeout. I just need you to come over my shop for fitting."

Eriol winced. He can't believe that the girl had designed some clothes for their stakeout. Eriol thought that Tomoyo was joking when she mentioned the idea a few days ago. "Do we have to do this?" He asked.

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded. "I don't know your measurement, Eriol. Fitting is necessary."

Eriol chuckled. "No. I was talking about sabotaging her dates."

"Oh," Tomoyo smiled sheepishly. "I thought you were talking about something else."

Eriol turned around and took another tray of cupcakes from the baking rack. "I don't think we have anything to interfere with. I mean, Sakura did say he agree to pretend dating. After one month, they are going to part their ways without us interfering."

"You're right," Tomoyo sighed. "But, that doesn't sound fun. It is sad to think that my design were for nothing."

"Well," Eriol paused as he put placed in the last chocolate cupcake with French vanilla butter-cream on the display case. "At least things will turn back to normal."

"And Sakura didn't have to worry so much about her father's threat," Tomoyo said. She took a mocha cupcake from the display case, peeled the cupcake liners, and took a bite.

Eriol stared at the woman next to him and remembered his conversation with Sakura. She thinks Tomoyo likes him, and that he should tell her how he felt. But he wondered if that was true. He had never seen Tomoyo giving him a slightest hint that she likes him.

Eriol turned around and stared at the board where customized orders from customers are recorded. Thank god, the customized orders aren't that much. There were 15 chocolate cupcakes with raspberry butter-cream cupcake bouquet order from Mrs. Kanako. Each bouquet would consist of five cupcakes. Then, there were 100 of very vanilla cupcakes for Miss Lin.

Eriol grabbed a tray of vanilla cupcakes to the open kitchen and began frosting them with vanilla butter-cream. "Are you going to wait for Sakura? I guess she would be back with those raspberries anytime soon."

"Sure, I'll wait for her," Tomoyo nodded.

Eriol glanced to Tomoyo and catch her staring at his frosted cupcakes. "Would you like to help?"

"I'd love too," Tomoyo beamed. She marched towards the sink and washed her hand with soap. She returned to Eriol after drying her hands with a kitchen towel. "What do I do?"

Eriol took a box of royal icing forget me not, and placed it on the table. "You can help me placing these flowers on the cupcakes."

Tomoyo frowned. "Can't I do the frosting instead?"

Eriol laughed nervously. "Tomoyo, the last time you frosted my cupcakes, it looked like poop."

"It wasn't my fault," Tomoyo defended herself. "They were chocolate butter-cream. Of course it looked like poop."

Eriol adjusted his glasses. "It has nothing to do with the butter-cream. It was your piping technique."

Tomoyo put her hand on her hips. "Then, you should teach me."

Eriol stared at her for a couple second. "You want me to teach you how to frost cupcakes?"

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded in enthusiasm.

"Alright," Eriol said. He took another piping bag with vanilla butter-cream and handed it to Tomoyo. "Watch how I do it first." He instructed. Eriol held his piping bag with his right hand an inch above the cupcake. He squeezed the bag and moved his hand in a circular motion around the top of the cupcake. It looked perfect.

"It's perfect!" Tomoyo said, admiring the cupcake.

"Thank you," Eriol said. "Now, your turn."

Tomoyo gripped her piping bag with her right hand and hold it above the cupcakes. Her hand was trembling.

"You should hold it with both hands." Eriol said.

"But, I've seen you holding it with one hand."

"Yes, because I'm a professional," Eriol replied. "And you're trembling."

Tomoyo hold her piping bag with both hand and started to squeeze it real hard.

"Stop!"

Tomoyo turned to Eriol and sighed. "What did I do wrong now? I haven't started frosting yet."

"You're putting too much pressure," Eriol commented.

Tomoyo turned to her cupcake and hold the piping bag a few centimeters above the cupcake. Then she felt Eriol slid behind her, and his hand was holding hers. She turned around only to find that she was leaning against his body.

"I'm going to teach you how to apply the right pressure," Eriol said.

Tomoyo felt his breath against her ear, and she started to tremble.

"Relax," Eriol said. He held Tomoyo's hand an inch above the cupcake and started to teach her how to put on the right pressure by squeezing the bag, and moved her hand in a circular motion around the cake. "There. It wasn't so hard."

Tomoyo took a deep breath and look at her frosted cupcake. It looked perfect, although not as perfect as Eriol's.

"What are you doing?"

Eriol and Tomoyo twirled around and discovered Sakura standing before the counter. She was holding a brown box in her hand. Eriol swore that Sakura was trying to hide a smile as they turned around.

"Frosting cupcakes?" Tomoyo replied innocently.

**xxx**

Li Syaoran was having his lunch in the hospital café. He was having some scrambled egg, mixed salad and sautéed cherry tomatoes with oregano. He took a sip from his hot chocolate macchiato and turned to his colleagues.

"I've never seen you having any interest into any woman. And now you're telling us that you have a girlfriend?" Yamazaki Takashi said. He forked some omelet and shoved it into his mouth.

"I'd like to meet this girl," Mihara Chiharu said. "We should definitely have a double date sometime."

In an instant, Syaoran choked on his drinks, and spilled some on his pants. He took a serviette from the table and patted it against the damp fabric. "I'm not dating this girl because I like her," Syaoran said. "I'm dating her because my mother wants me to."

"Then, how can we be sure if you're not lying?" Chiharu said and squinted. "I think you're just trying to avoid another set up."

Syaoran chuckled. "It's not that," Now that he thinks of it, it was good that he brought up that he has a girlfriend, although he didn't really like her. But at least, it would save him from Takashi and Chiharu setting up a double date. Well, not that he'd ever been to any of those dates.

Syaoran frowned. "Who would be happy with their parents arranging their love life?"

"I know Terada-sensei did," Takashi said casually. "He had his love life arranged. I heard that he's going to marry the girl next year."

"Tell me more about your girlfriend," Chiharu said to Syaoran. "What is she like?"

"Well," Syaoran paused and stared into his coffee to think. He remembered her sparkling emerald eyes and her long shiny auburn hair. He recalled that she had dimple on her cheek when she smiled to her mother. And let's not forget that she always smelled sweet. The first day he met her she smelled like vanilla. When he met her yesterday, she smelled of vanilla with a trace of cinnamon. "She's shorter than me. Green eyes, shoulder length auburn hair." Syaoran described.

"Big tits?" Takashi said. He was frowning a bit. In a blink of an eye, his frown disappeared when he felt something or someone stomped on his foot. "Ouch!" he yelped.

"I'm sorry, was that your foot?" Chiharu said. It was obvious that she was the one who stomped on Takashi's foot. Chiharu cleared her throat and smiled like nothing happened.

He took his drinks, and sipped more of his chocolate macchiato. "I just know that I can't get along with this type of girl," Syaoran said.

"What is it that you don't like about her?" Chiharu asked.

"I don't know," Syaoran sighed. "There are people you just don't like from the beginning."

"That doesn't make sense," Chiharu said.

"Yeah." Takashi agreed. "And most people said if you hate a person, you might end up falling in love. Some people end up marrying people they used to hate."

"Well, thank god." Syaoran said, rolling his eyes. "I don't hate her. I just don't like her."

"Well, you can't just not like her without a reason at all," Takashi said. "That's not fair."

Chiharu turned to Takashi and shrugged. "Well, I'm sure that she feels the same way towards you. After all, she's in the same situation as you. She probably doesn't want to date you either. You should treat her nicely," Chiharu advised.

"You sounded like my mother," Syaoran sighed. He fished for his phone when he felt the vibration. He looked at the screen for a couple beat, stood up and signaled Chiharu and Takashi that he will be taking this call. "Yes, mother?"

Speak of the devil.

"Are you free to talk?" Yelan asked. She knew that due to her son's work nature, there are times when he isn't that free to talk. Especially when he was attending his patients.

"Yeah, sure," Syaoran replied. "What is it?"

Yelan took a deep breath. "I wanted you invite Sakura for dinner tonight in our house." She said. "Your sisters would be here too. It'll be good to introduce them to each other. We're going to be family anyway."

"Mother." Syaoran said and paused. He was thinking hard how to get out from the situation. He slightly regretted saying that he was free to talk to her earlier. "I can't join you for dinner. I'm on call."

"Nonsense," Yelan snapped. "That just means that you're technically off duty."

That's true. Syaoran was technically off duty for the night. But should there be any emergency, he would still have to go and take care of the issue and deal with his patients.

"Kinomoto is busy," Syaoran blurted.

"Well, everybody's busy. But she has to have dinner too. Tell her I want to meet her. She'll come," Yelan said. "Why are you calling her Kinomoto, anyway? You're dating her. Shouldn't you be calling her Sakura?"

Syaoran sighed. "I'm not used to that yet."

"Well, get used to it," Yelan said. "You're going to get engaged in a month."

"Mother, that's undecided," Syaoran said impatiently. "I thought we agree we're not going to talk about any engagement. I'm not sure if we're suitable for each other. What if she decided that she doesn't like me?"

"If you don't treat her nicely, of course she's going to hate you," Yelan commented.

Syaoran replied her with a groan.

"Don't forget dinner at six. No excuses," Yelan said before hanging up.

**xxx**

"Who was that?" Sheifa asked.

Kimura Sheifa was Syaoran's fourth sister. She changed family's name to Kimura when she married to Kimura Sou five years ago. She was the closest to Syaoran among the other siblings.

Sheifa was holding her four years old daughter, Aiko in her arms. She put her daughter on the floor, and gave her a bottle.

"Syaoran," Yelan replied. "I asked him to bring Sakura to dinner."

"That's good," Sheifa said as she sat across her mother. "I've always wanted to meet my future sister-in-law. Fanren mentioned that she's a nice girl. And cute too."

"Yes she is," Yelan said smiled. After a while her smile disappeared and she sighed.

"What's wrong?" Sheifa asked.

"I'm worried."

Sheifa raised an eyebrow. "Worried about what?"

Yelan turned to her daughter. "I think your brother may be up to something."

"Don't bother him. Let him handle his love life," Sheifa suggested. "He's all grown up now. He knows what he's doing."

"It all seemed too easy. Your brother agreed to date Sakura without any fight when we brought up the issue," Yelan said, expressing her concern. "Shouldn't he at least argue about it?"

Sheifa shrugged. "Isn't that great that he listens to you once in a while?"

"Yes," Yelan agreed. "But I have a bad feeling about all this."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Sheifa said and smiled. "It's good to be concern about him. But don't get too involve with his relationship. They can't move forward in their relationship if you get so involved."

"You think so?" Yelan asked.

"Yes," Sheifa nodded. "I'm sure they would get embarrassed if you keep interfering with their love life. Knowing your son, he would oppose you if you keep interfering. You have done what you can. Why don't you sit back and watch what happens."

**xxx**

Syaoran stared on his iPhone screen and pressed the call button. He placed his phone to his ear and counted to five.

No answer.

He pressed the end call button and tried calling again.

Still, no answer.

_Shit. Why isn't she picking up?_

Syaoran put his phone into his pocket, took off his coat and rushed out from his room.

**xxx**

Kinomoto Sakura was dressed in her usual outfit. White T-shirt, jeans and the baby pink apron with 'Cupcakelicious' written across her chest. She took some raspberries and pureed them in a food processor. She turned off the processor and squinted at Tomoyo.

"What?" Tomoyo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sometimes, Sakura wondered why Tomoyo love hanging out in her bakery instead of staying in her boutique across the street. She asked Tomoyo once, and Tomoyo said hanging out with her gave her more inspiration to create a new line.

"Nothing," Sakura shook her head.

Tomoyo eyed the pureed raspberry and her mouth wriggled. "You think your plan to pretend dating is going to work?" Tomoyo asked.

"I hope so," Sakura replied. "As long as our parents know nothing about it, I think it's going to work. Promise me you're not going to tell anyone about this."

Tomoyo nodded. "You can trust me."

Sakura took some butter and raspberry puree and beat them at medium speed with a mixer. "I'm just happy that we wouldn't be seeing each other. Although we still have to keep in touch. In case our parents suspect something," Sakura sighed and walked into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw the sink, and put her hand on her hips. "Guys!" She yelled. "What did I tell you about the rules? Clean as you go."

A girl probably younger than them walked towards Sakura and bowed. Her name tag showed that she was called Mai. "I'm sorry. I'll clean this up as soon as possible."

"I'll come back after five minutes," Sakura said. "If I saw any dirty bowls in the sink, I'm going to cut your salary. And I mean all of-"

Sakura didn't manage to finish off her sentence when she slipped on some grease on the floor and fell. Sakura landed flat. Both her hip and head hit the floor really hard.

Tomoyo was watching Sakura scolding her employee when she saw her slipped. "Sakura!" She screamed in horror.

"Oww!" Sakura moaned.

"Are you alright?" Eriol asked. He squatted next to her and tried to help her up.

"Do you think we should call the doctor?" Tomoyo asked.

The staffs began to swarm around Sakura.

"Risa, Akari. You two take care of the customers. Make sure they weren't alarmed. The rest of you, back to work! There's nothing to see here," Eriol instructed before he took Sakura on her arm and escorted her to a chair.

"Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked. Her gaze softened.

"Yeah, besides all the pain stinging on my head and my ass, I guess, I'm alright," Sakura assured. Then, suddenly she roared into a laugh.

Tomoyo and Eriol exchanged weird looks.

"Did you see the way I fell?" Sakura asked. "I mean, it's comical!"

"She's definitely hit her head really bad," Tomoyo said. "We should bring her to the hospital."

Sakura dismissed them with her hand. "No hospital. No doctor. I'm alright," Sakura stood up to show her friends that she's alright. "See? I'm standing without any problem."

"Uh, Sakura," Akari called out. "Someone wants to see you."

Sakura looked up and saw Syaoran standing behind Akari. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't pick up your phone," Syaoran said.

"I probably left it in my locker," Sakura said. "Why are you looking for me?"

Syaoran sighed. "My mother wanted me to bring you over for dinner."

"What?" Sakura snapped. She grimaced when her head throbbed with pain. She touched the back of her head and thought that it was wet. "Okay, my head is bleeding," Sakura announced when she saw red liquid sticking on her fingers.

Syaoran strode towards Sakura, pulled her close and took a look at her head. "What happen?" He asked.

"Ow!" Sakura yelped. "You're hurting me!"

"She slipped and fell hard on the floor," Eriol informed.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked.

"Of course I'm okay," Sakura said. "Get me a band aid or something and it will stop bleeding."

"We need to get her to hospital," Syaoran said.

Syaoran took Sakura by her arm and she jerked away.

"Guys, I told you I didn't need to go to the hospital. I mean, who's going to cover Mrs. Kanako orders?" Sakura retorted. Then, she turned to Syaoran, and her eyes stiffen. "What are you, a doctor or something?"

"Cupcake, I am a doctor!" Syaoran snapped. "And don't even think about your job. Your health is more important. If you don't treat the wound now, it could get worse. What if you got a concussion?"

"He's right, Sakura," Tomoyo said. "You need to go to the hospital."

"Don't worry about the order. I'll take care of everything," Eriol assured.

"And I'll help too," Tomoyo volunteered.

Sakura stared at her friends and sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll go."

Syaoran tried to take Sakura by her arm and she jerked away. Again.

"I don't need your help," Sakura said. "I can walk on my own."

Syaoran took a deep breath and shook his head as he watched his stubborn, pretend-girlfriend walk wobbly to the exit.

"Sometimes, she can be really stubborn," Eriol whispered.

"Tell me about it," Tomoyo replied.

**- End of chapter 4: Cupcake, I am a doctor!**-

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This chapter was a bit crazy! What do you think? Thanks to Sakura-chan Master of the Clow for beta **:)**

**Please review :)**


	5. Am I interrupting something?

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys rock! And thank you Sakura-chan Master of the Clow for beta (If you notice any other mistake, that was me adding a few other line after she beta-ed). Happy reading ~

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**- Chapter 5: ****Am I interrupting something?****–**

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><p>Hiiragizawa Eriol took a heavy skillet and cooked a cup of sugar over medium heat. He swirled the sugar occasionally until the sugar dissolved and the syrup turned into light amber color. "How's Sakura?" He asked when Tomoyo walked in the kitchen.<p>

"I'm not sure," Tomoyo shrugged. "I visited her with my mom last night. Then, Li and the other doctors said that Sakura should be put under observation."

Eriol frowned as he removed the pan from heat. "Sakura's under observation? Why?" Eriol whisked in half cup of cream until the mixture bubbled vigorously.

"Skull fracture," Tomoyo said.

Eriol was stunned for a couple second. "That bad?" He asked. Then, he turned to the caramel, and whisked in one and a half cups of unsalted butter and half a teaspoon of salt.

Tomoyo smiled. "Not really. Sakura has been having headache since she got to the hospital. She had been throwing up quite a few times too. But, Li assured me that she would be fine after some rest.

Eriol frowned. "Then, why is she staying in the hospital?"

Tomoyo sighed. "Aunty Nadeshiko was exaggerating. She wanted Sakura to have a thorough check up. So, Sakura had to stay in the hospital until she gets her CAT and MRI scan result. Just to make sure that everything is okay."

"You scared me, Tomoyo. I thought she was in a really bad condition," Eriol said. Then, he turned his attention to the stove and whisked his salted caramel sauce until the butter dissolved. Then, he transferred the skillet and let it cool (_A/N: And that is how you prepare salted caramel sauce **:P**_). "She's lucky that Li came over and hauled her to the hospital. That girl needed some rest after all that she been going through."

"Yes," Tomoyo agreed. "And she's lucky that she didn't get any stitches on her head. I heard that hair cannot grow from scar tissue. Imagining that my Sakura could go bald scares me."

Eriol raised an eyebrow when Tomoyo said 'my Sakura' and chuckled.

"That's right. I was inspired to design a few hat for Sakura last night," Tomoyo said. She took out her sketch book, and showed Eriol some pictures of her design. There were designs of beanie, cloche, straw hats, caps and beret hats in her sketch book. "What do you think?"

Eriol stared at her sketchbook for a few seconds. "Cute," He commented.

"But, of course, Sakura doesn't need this," Tomoyo said. She closed her sketchbook and peeked at Eriol's caramel. "Is that the sauce for salted caramel cupcakes?"

Eriol nodded. "I'm going to drizzle the sauce on top of the cupcakes later on. Are you going to visit Sakura?"

"Yeap!" Tomoyo confirmed. She stared at customized orders board for a second, and turned to Eriol. "You don't have many customized order today. Would you like to visit Sakura with me?"

"I'd like to," Eriol said. "But, I'm not comfortable with leaving the bakery."

"Oh, don't worry about the bakery. I'm sure Steve and the others can manage them without you and Sakura," Tomoyo said. She turned to Steve and yelled, "Right, Steve?"

"Don't worry too much Eriol," Steve said. "You need to trust us a bit more. We can handle the bakery. Adam, Mai and I will take care of baking and frosting. Akari and Risa will take care of the customers."

Eriol turned to Tomoyo and considered.

"You can be our representative to visit her," Steve added.

"Yes. And please tell her how sorry we are," Mai said. "She wouldn't have fallen flat like that if we were really careful and kept the kitchen clean and sparkly."

"And you should bring this too," Risa said. She handed Eriol a box of cupcakes. "I included her favorite cherry bomb cupcake in the box."

Eriol turned to the other staffs and nodded. "Alright," He said.

**xxx**

Syaoran walked toward Sakura and stretched his arm to grab a file from the head board. He wore a lab coat and a stethoscope hung around on his neck. He studied his file and looked up to Sakura.

She was sleeping soundly.

He stared at Sakura's sleeping face for a while and noticed her long lashes, her rosy cheek and her pink, full lips for the first time. Then, he turned to the file when he noticed that she's awake. "You're awake?"

Sakura nodded lazily. "What are you doing?" She asked, as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Routine checkup." Syaoran said briefly and cleared his throat. He turned around and his eyes roamed throughout the room. There were other patients who shared the same room as Sakura. Most of them were accompanied by their family member. "Where's your mother?"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think she went out to make some calls."

"How do you feel? Better?" He asked as he turned and studied Sakura's record.

"I've been better," Sakura answered briefly.

Syaoran nodded, and turned to consult his file. "Do you still have that headache and dizziness?" he asked.

"No."

Syaoran nodded and jotted something in his file. "Do you still throw up?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. It all stopped after I got some rest."

Syaoran bended a bit and check on Sakura's bandaged head. "You're lucky your head injury wasn't _that_ serious," Syaoran commented as he wrote something on the file.

"See, I've told you that I'm perfectly fine and I can still work in my condition," Sakura said. "You didn't have to drag me to hospital and have me hospitalized you know?"

Syaoran glanced at her and decided to ignore her comment. "Did you get a good sleep?"

Sakura sighed and nodded.

"That's good," Syaoran said. He clicked his pen closed and clipped it on his coat pocket. Then, he took a flashlight, and shone it to Sakura's eyes to check her pupil. He wrote something on the file and placed the file back to where it belonged. Then, he pulled a visitor chair. His eyes roamed around the room to make sure that nobody's paying attention to them. Then, he searched through his pockets and pulled some papers. "I've been meaning to give you this yesterday."

Sakura took the paper from Syaoran and raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

"It's our agreement," Syaoran answered. "I took notes on our rules for this pretend-dating contract the other night. I've printed them out. There were two copies of them."

"You're showing this to me, why?"

"You need to crosscheck the terms," Syaoran said with a sigh. "If you're done with that, you need to sign both of them somewhere on the bottom part. I've signed them too."

"Why do I need to do this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Syaoran said. "This will be the evidence in case one of us violated the contract."

"In other words, you didn't trust me," Sakura commented.

"I'm trying to be more careful," Syaoran responded.

Sakura sighed. "That's fine. I can't trust you either," She read the paper a few times, and looked up. She stretched her arms and showed her palm to Syaoran.

"What?" Syaoran said.

"I need a pen if you wanted me to sign this."

Syaoran took his pen from his coat pocket and handed it to Sakura.

"All done," Sakura said after she signed both papers. She read the papers once again, and handed them to Syaoran.

Syaoran checked the papers, handed a copy to Sakura and stood up from his chair.

"Hey," Sakura called as she tugged the hem of Syaoran's coat. She looked up and found Syaoran was staring at her.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm sorry for being persistent when you''re trying to help me." Sakura said. "I don't know what got into me. I guess I was trying to look cool in front of my employee. I mean, one moment I was lecturing them, and the next thing I knew, I fell and landed flat."

"Don't worry about it," Syaoran said. "It's normal to feel anxious and upset after a head injury. Somehow, I can't bear to watch an injured person without treating them. It's my job, anyway."

"And uh. . ." Sakura paused and bit her lips. "Thank you," She uttered. She looked up and smiled faintly.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Syaoran turned around and saw his sister, Sheifa and his niece, Aiko, standing behind him. Sheifa was carrying her daughter in one hand, and a paper bag on another one. Syaoran stood up from his chair and swiftly slid his agreement into his pocket. "You're here."

"What were you two doing?" Sheifa asked.

"Nothing," Syaoran replied abruptly.

"Something smells fishy." Sheifa said as she squinted.

"Nothing fishy is going on," Syaoran assured his sister. "Aren't you here for visiting?"

"Oh!" Sheifa said as she put her daughter down and walked to Sakura. "Sakura! I haven't seen you for years! The last time I saw you, you were five." She said as she gathered Sakura in her arms. You and Syaoran used to follow me around."

Sakura turned to Syaoran for explanation.

"This is my fourth sister, Sheifa," Syaoran introduced. "You've met my first sister, Fanren during dinner the other day, remember?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "F-four?"

Syaoran nodded and turned to the small girl beside him. "And this little cutie pie is my niece, Aiko."

"Oh!" Sheifa pulled away and smiled. "Aiko, say hi to Aunty Sakura."

The little girl looked at her mother and turned to Sakura. "Hello," She said with a smile.

"Hi," Sakura smiled. "Nice to meet you, Aiko."

Aiko walked towards her mother, fished something from the paper bag, and handed Syaoran a chocolate bar.

"Thank you, Aiko," Syaoran said with a smile. "How did you know that I loved chocolate?" He took the chocolate bar and kept it in his pocket. Then he bended down and ruffled his niece's hair.

"I thought you came here with mother," Syaoran said to his sister.

"She met up with Aunt Nadeshiko downstairs," Sheifa said. "They were talking about something. So, I decided to go up first."

Syaoran nodded and turned to Sakura. "I need to go now. Your CAT scan and MRI results are probably out. If there's nothing wrong with the results, you will be discharge."

"Alright," Sakura nodded.

"Don't worry about Sakura. I'll take care of her," Sheifa said. Then she turned to Sakura with a smile. "In the meantime, I can get to know my future sister-in-law."

"Sheifa! Not you too!" Syaoran said with a frown. "The whole marriage thing is not definite! I thought you're the only one who would at least side with me. Fanren already decided to betray me."

Sheifa rolled her eyes. "I thought you got work to do. Why aren't you moving?"

Syaoran placed his hand on his hips. "Are you kicking me out?"

"I didn't say anything like that," Sheifa said.

"Fine," Syaoran sighed and turned to Aiko. "Make sure your mom doesn't sprout any nonsense about me, alright?"

Aiko nodded and the girls watched Syaoran disappeared behind the door.

"Oh! My mother made you some porridge," Sheifa said as she rummaged through her paper bag. Then, she took out a Tupperware and placed it on the table. "You should eat some."

"Thank you," Sakura said as she took a spoon from Sheifa. She shoved a spoonful of porridge into her throat and looked up when she noticed that Sheifa was staring at her. "It's delicious."

Sheifa nodded and smiled. "We should go out and hang out sometimes. We could go shopping, chatting or anything like that."

"I'd love that," Sakura answered. She took another spoonful of porridge and shoved it into her mouth. She can't help but feeling a little bit awkward. Sheifa was after all, a stranger to her.

"So. . ." Sheifa said with a smile plastered on her face. "What do you think of Syaoran?"

"Eh?" Sakura startled. She was surprised by the unexpected question from Sheifa.

"Come on, you can tell me. I promise I won't tell Syaoran anything," Sheifa said. Then, she turned to her daughter. "If you promise me you won't tell your uncle anything, I will bake some chocolate cake for you."

Aiko smiled happily and nodded. "Alright!" She stretched her arms and the mother-daughter did their pinky promise.

"Well?" Sheifa said.

"I don't know," Sakura replied. "I met him a few days ago. I don't know him that much."

Sheifa sighed. "I know that my little brother can be an ass sometimes."

Sakura nodded. She couldn't agree more.

"He's always like that with girls. After all, most of girls he meets get all friendly with him once they know that our father owns Li's Cooperation," Sheifa said. "But he's a good kid. You'll know it once you get to know him a bit more."

Sakura nodded. She understood a bit why Syaoran accused that she was after his family wealth. But, that was not the reason to treat someone you barely know like a jerk. Not every girl in this world is like that. And to Sakura's defense, she never knew that Syaoran was that rich until her father told her over dinner a few days ago.

Sheifa smiled. "You should give him a chance."

**xxx**

Syaoran looked up from the CAT and MRI scans report and stared at his mentor, Terada.

"It's all good," Terada said with a smile. "There's nothing wrong with Kinomoto's CAT and MRI scans results. You can tell your fiancée that there's nothing wrong with her and she can be discharge."

Syaoran chuckled. "She's not my fiancée."

Terada frowned. "She's not?"

Syaoran shook his head. "I'm just dating her."

"That means she will be your fiancée someday," Terada said and winked.

Syaoran smiled. He didn't know how to explain to his mentor. He can't be straightforward on his situation. It's awkward, and it would cost him a million if he did that.

"Oh!" Terada said. He slid his drawer and look through some mails. He picked up an envelope and handed it to Syaoran. "It's my wedding invitation. It's on 15th. You should come with your girlfriend."

Syaoran frowned. "I thought your wedding is supposed to be next year."

"Where did you hear that rumor?" Terada asked. His eyebrow rose.

"I heard some of them talking about it," Syaoran explained.

"Well, it was supposed to be next year," Terada said with a laugh. "My parent think that I'm not getting any younger. So, last month they decided to hasten the wedding to next week."

Syaoran nodded. "Congratulation," He said as he stretched his arm.

"Thank you," Terada said as he shook hand with Syaoran. "I can't afford to invite everyone to the wedding as it is a last minute arrangement. You should keep this a secret."

Syaoran laughed. "Don't worry. I will," He stood up marched to the door. He bid his mentor goodbye and headed to Sakura's room. He stopped when he saw his colleague, Chiharu at the nurse station.

"Syaoran," Chiharu said.

"What?"

"I thought you were making things up. I never thought that you would score yourself such a cute girlfriend," Chiharu said.

"Yes," Syaoran said. "Now, you and Takashi can stop pestering me about another blind date."

"Totally," Chiharu said with a smile. "But, we should definitely have a double date sometimes."

Syaoran laughed and dismissed her with his hand and walked in the patient room. He was stunned a bit when he saw a crowd of people were surrounding Sakura. His mother, her mother, his sister, his niece, her cousin and a guy he didn't really know. But he was sure he saw him at the bakery yesterday. Syaoran cleared his throat and suddenly, all eyes were on him.

"Syaoran!" Nadeshiko called. "How's the result? Everything is good, right?"

"Well?" Yelan said. She raised an eyebrow and stared at her son.

Syaoran consulted his files and looked up," Her results are good. The CAT and MRI scans showed that there's nothing wrong with her brain. She's perfectly fine. She can be discharged now."

"Yay!" Tomoyo cheered. She marched towards Sakura and gave her a hug.

"See, I told you that I'm alright," Sakura said to her mother. "You were exaggerating, mom."

"There's nothing wrong with being extra careful," Yelan said with a smile. "Your mother was really worried about you. She loves you too much. That's why she wanted the doctors to run those tests."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I understand that."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things I need to settle with," Syaoran said. He walked towards his mother and gave her a peck on her cheek. "I'm going to be late today. Don't wait up for me."

The group watched Syaoran disappeared behind the door and turned their attention to Sakura.

"Now that we knew that you're fine, you should go on a date with Syaoran," Yelan suggested.

"What?" Sakura and Tomoyo said in unison.

"Mother!" Sheifa protested.

"I think Sakura should be resting for a few days," Nadeshiko suggested.

"Of course," Yelan laughed. "I didn't mean that they should be going out right away. Perhaps this Friday night?"

Sakura turned to her mother. She seemed astounded. Then, she turned to her cousin, Tomoyo, asking for help.

"She can't! We promised grandpa we'll be visiting him on Friday, and we'll be having dinner with him on Friday night," Tomoyo said. She turned to Eriol when she noticed that he was nudging her.

"What are you doing?" Eriol whispered.

"Saving Sakura," Tomoyo replied with a whisper.

"Really?" Nadeshiko said. She turned to her daughter and raised an eyebrow. "Honey, you haven't told me that you and Tomoyo are planning to visit your grandpa this Friday."

Sakura laughed nervously. "I guess, I forgot to mention that to you. I mean, I was busy with all my cupcakes."

"We can't reschedule our visit too," Tomoyo said. "I mean, I've told grandpa that we're going to visit him, and he was really excited. I really hate to disappoint him."

"Well," Yelan paused. She placed her fingers on his chin to think. "What about Sunday. Syaoran has a day off on Sunday."

Sakura turned to Tomoyo. She was expecting another help from her cousin.

"We let you to date each other for a month so you can get to know each other better," Yelan said "If you can't spend some times to get to know each other, perhaps we should extend the dating period to two months."

"Sunday sounds good," Sakura replied abruptly.

**xxx**

"Eriol," Tomoyo said after a while. She took a deep breath and turned to Eriol. Eriol volunteered to drive her Toyota Vios to hospital earlier, and he volunteered to drive her on the way back too.

"What?" Eriol said. His eyes focused on the road.

"My instincts were right," Tomoyo said. "We are back in this game. We have to do our best to help Sakura."

Eriol raised an eyebrow and glanced at the woman beside him. "Are you talking about Sakura's upcoming date?"

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded. "I can't believe that Li's mother would become my opponent."

"Your what?"

"My opponent," Tomoyo repeated. "She's going to be a really formidable opponent! I just knew it, Eriol. Li's mother is going to set up lots of dates for them. And we are going to make sure that her plan fails."

"Oh boy!" Eriol mumbled under his breath. "Just what did I sign myself into?"

**- End of chapter 5: ****Am I interrupting something?****–**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> How is it? I was nervous because I couldn't think of adding any fluff into the hospital scene. Things are _still_ moving slowly. But no worries! It will get better on the next chapter.

**Please review! Or flame if you must.**

Oooh~ I've got an interview next morning. Wish me luck!

P.s: What is your dream/ideal date?


	6. Are You Cosplaying?

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **I wasn't planning to upload this a few days after chapter 5. But, I think that I owe this to my readers as I know most of you were disappointed that there's not much SxS moments. And Sakura-chan Master of the Clow beta-ed really quick! So, I guess, this chapter is dedicated to my readers who choose to stick with me though my writing style is a bit slow **:)** Enjoy and please review!

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 6: Are You Cosplaying?**

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><p>"I can't believe dad would do this to you while I wasn't around," Kinomoto Touya said with a frown. He took a sip from his latte and groaned. "And I can't believe that you would succumb to that."<p>

Sakura blew a sigh. "I don't have much of a choice, Touya. It's either that, or I could lose my bakery."

Touya sighed in frustration. "I don't like this, Sakura."

"You think I like this?" Sakura asked. She paused when her phone started singing GUMI's Catch You Catch Me chorus. "It's not like I'm going to marry him, Touya. I only agreed to date him." Sakura rummaged through her pocket and picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"Why did you agree to date me this Sunday?" The caller said a little too loud.

Sakura distanced the phone from her ear and stared at the phone screen – it was Li Syaoran, her pretend-boyfriend. She grimaced, and pushed the end call button.

"Who was that?" Touya asked with a scowl.

Sakura shrugged. "I have no idea. Wrong number, I guess."

Touya stared at his sister for a second and took another sip from his latte. "What is this brat like?"

"He's okay, I guess. He's a doctor. Tall, brown hair, amber eyes." Sakura paused and squinted towards her brother. "You're not going to find him and beat him up are you?" Her phone started to sing again and she picked up the phone.

Touya chuckled. "Please, I'm not that barbaric."

"Yes?" Sakura said.

"You hung up on me!" Syaoran said in a firm voice.

Sakura glanced at her brother, gave him an apologetic look, stood up and walked towards a private corner. "I probably wouldn't have done that if you hadn't yelled at me."

"If you were in my position, you would start yelling too," Syaoran said. "I heard from my mother that you agreed to date me this Sunday. What's with that? Don't tell me that you've actually started to fall me."

Sakura chuckled. "Would you like me to?"

"What?" Syaoran said impatiently.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Would you like me to fall for you?" She said jokingly.

"What?" Syaoran shrieked through the phone. "Are you insane?"

Sakura distanced her phone from her ear when he shrieked. "Stop sprouting nonsense. I've told you that I don't have any plan to fall for you. I have no intention to change my plan now."

"Fine," Syaoran said and took a deep breath. "Now, explain to me how I got into this mess."

Sakura sighed. "Look. Your mother threatened to extend the dating period to two months if we didn't start dating each other. I didn't have a choice."

"What? I can't believe this," Syaoran said. He clicked his tongue and disconnected the line.

Sakura stared at her phone screen and her eyebrow arched. "He hung up on me... That jerk!" She muttered. She turned to her brother and saw him stand up.

"I've got to go or I'll be late for work," Touya said as he stood up. "If that brat bullies you or something, you have to tell me. I'll take care of him. Heck, if anything happen at all, you have to tell me."

Sakura laughed. "Don't worry about me. I know how to take care of myself."

"I know you can," Touya said and grinned. "I don't call you a monster for nothing."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" She said as she kicked his brother on his shin.

"Ouch!" Touya yelped. "You need to stop the habit of kicking and stomping me with your feet."

"And you need to stop calling me a monster," Sakura retorted.

"Send my regards to grandpa," Touya said once he recovered. He gave a peck on Sakura's cheek and exited her bakery.

Sakura watched her brother exited her bakery and disappear behind the building. A few second later, her cousin, Tomoyo walked into her bakery with a luggage in her hand.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo called as she pushed the glass door. "Was that Touya?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. He got back from his outstation work this morning and had to head to work immediately."

"He seemed really busy. I haven't seen him in a while now," Tomoyo commented. "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready. But, wait a minute. I'll have to grab a few things from the locker room. You should have a cup of coffee first, Tomoyo," Sakura said before she headed to the locker room.

"You're going now?" Eriol asked when he saw Sakura carrying a brown knapsack behind her.

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "I trust that you will take care of everything while I'm gone, Eriol."

Eriol smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything. You should pamper yourself and relax while you have the chance, Sakura. We're going to be really busy next week."

Sakura frowned. "Next week?"

Eriol squinted. "You didn't forget that next week is Valentine's Day, did you?"

"Oh shoot!" Sakura gasped. "I totally forgot about that!"

"I thought so." Eriol smirked.

Sakura laughed as she walked towards Tomoyo. "Thank god you reminded me, Eriol. I don't know what would've happened if I forgotten all about it. I mean, there's the order forms that I've got to fill up." Sakura paused for a second and gasped. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god! The order forms!"

"Don't worry about that," Eriol said with a smile. "I'll handle everything. You should go for a vacation, relax and clear your head a little bit."

Sakura smiled and took a deep breath. "Alright. But promise me you will call me if you run into trouble."

"I will," Eriol replied. "Have fun girls," Eriol said as he bid Sakura and Tomoyo goodbye. He let out a small sigh when Tomoyo's Toyota Vios disappeared from his view. Then, he turned his attention to his workload.

"Aww. . . You're going to miss her, aren't you?"

Eriol turned around and saw Risa standing beside him. "What are you talking about?"

Risa rolled her eyes. "Tomoyo. You like her, don't you?"

Eriol stared at Risa for a couple second and turned his attention back to his work. He took some cupcake from the baking rack and filled the display cases. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, please Eriol. Everyone knows that you're in love her," Mai said. She turned to the other staff and nodded. "Right guys?"

Eriol turned around and saw everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"It's very transparent," Adam commented. "You need to tell her how you feel."

Eriol sighed. "I know that."

"You need to act fast before somebody else snatches her away from you," Mai said as she took out some muffin trays from the oven. She poked the cupcakes with a cake tester to check its doneness.

Eriol raised an eyebrow. "You think somebody is going to do that?"

"Of course!" Mai said. "She's pretty, smart and quite rich too. I mean, her mother owns that Daidouji Toy Company, right?"

"She's perfect," Akari added. "Well, if you ignore her obsession towards her cousin."

Eriol laughed at Akari's remarked. "That's true."

**xxx**

Sakura dropped her knapsack on the floor and slammed her body against the mattress. She took a deep breath and rolled herself on it. She stretched her body and moaned lazily.

"What are you going to do about this Sunday?" Tomoyo asked as she placed her luggage on the floor.

Sakura sat up straight and shrugged. "I don't know. I think I'll go with it. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Have you considered talking to grandpa? I'm sure that he'll talk some sense into your father," Tomoyo said. "Then perhaps your dad would think over his decision."

Sakura sighed. "I know."

"But?" Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. She knew that there's something else that has been bothering her cousin.

Sakura bit her lower lips. "You know how hard it is for grandpa to finally give his consent to my parents. I don't want my father and grandpa to start fighting again."

Tomoyo nodded and they both fell silent.

"Alright!" Sakura said as she clapped her hand in enthusiasm. "Let's forget about all this. I mean, it's not that we have the chance to slack around and spend time with grandpa every day. We should enjoy ourselves."

Tomoyo laughed. "You're right!"

The girls changed their clothes and went out. They walked along a small pavement, and arrived at an apple orchard. There was a small shack near the orchard. An old man was busy fertilizing an apple tree.

"Grandpa!" Both Sakura and Tomoyo called.

The old man spun around and smiled at the sight of his granddaughters. "What are you girls doing here? Shouldn't you get some rest after that long journey?"

"Aww, it wasn't that long," Tomoyo said.

Sakura nodded. "Besides, our fatigue seems to vanish when we got to see your face, grandpa."

Grandpa laughed. "Alright. What would you girls like to do today?"

Tomoyo and Sakura exchanged their glance and turned to their grandpa.

"Isn't there anything that we could help you with?" Sakura asked.

"Well," Grandpa paused as he placed his hand on his hips and looked at his granddaughters. "Why don't you girls prepare something for dinner? You can take some apples from the shack, and bake me an apple pie for dessert. It's been a while since I got to eat my granddaughter's apple pie."

"Sure!" The cousins said and beamed. The duo walked towards the shack and saw varieties of apples in several baskets – Red Delicious, Gala, McIntosh and a few more. Each of them was arranged to their types.

Tomoyo looked around the shack and turned to Sakura beside her. "Green granny smith?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeap. They make the best apple pie."

**xxx**

"You need to change your outfit," Tomoyo commented when Sakura stepped out from the bathroom.

Sakura glanced at her outfit – a T-shirt with a picture of black Mokona and dark blue lazy pants. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

"You're lucky I'm all prepared," Tomoyo said as she rummaged through her luggage. She pulled out a tea green dress and tossed it to Sakura. "Change into this."

"Tomoyo, it's a dress," Sakura said deadpan.

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded. "Would you prefer a red dress instead? I thought the red dress would look wonderful on you during our photo shoots in grandpa's orchard. I thought it will look compatible with the apples."

Sakura laughed nervously. "Photo shoots?" She echoed.

"Of course!" Tomoyo said. "We're going to have so much fun, Sakura!"

Sakura sighed. "Why do I have to change into this? It's not like we're going anywhere."

"To make grandpa happy!" Tomoyo beamed. "You know that he loves watching us dressed in pretty dress."

"That was long ago! When we were both kids," Sakura laughed.

"Oh! This is for old time sake!" Tomoyo said with a smile.

"Alright," Sakura sighed. Then, she obediently changed into the dress with Tomoyo's help. She looked into the mirror and gasped.

"Sakura! You're exploding with cuteness!"

"Tomoyo! I am not going to wear this!" she protested. "This is really embarrassing. I looked like a kindergartener with all these frills!"

Sakura was wearing a sleeveless, mid-calf length, light tea green shirring jumper skirt. The hem was lined with white frilly laces. The dress was topped with long sleeves, corset short jacket of the same green tea color. There were lace frills around the neckline.

"You're being silly. You didn't look like a kindergartener at all," Tomoyo said as she fished into her luggage and pulled out an off white dress. "I made myself a dress too! Then, we're going to have fun with photo shoots!"

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned to Tomoyo and gasped. "It's grandpa!"

Tomoyo nodded. "You should go out and see him. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Sakura sighed and walked out. "Yes grandpa?"

"I'm in the living room," Grandpa called.

Sakura pushed the door open and walked in to the living room. "Yes grandpa?"

"Your friend is here," Grandpa said with a smile on his face. "I found him roaming outside. He seemed lost. He told me that he was looking for you. Look! He bought me a gift too."

Sakura looked up and saw Li Syaoran sitting comfortably on the sofa in the living room with her grandpa. "You!" She gasped. Her eyes widened."What are you doing here?"

Syaoran stood up and smiled politely to her grandpa. "We need to talk," he said to Sakura.

Sakura stared at Syaoran for a couple beats with her mouth gaped open. She was deciding what she should do.

"Then, I'll leave you two in here. You should have a talk with your friend, Sakura. He came a long way looking for you," Grandpa said as he patted Sakura on her head. "When you're done, you should join us for dinner."

The two watched grandpa closed the door and stared at each other.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked for the second time.

"I'm being courteous," Syaoran lied. He was forced by her mother to visit Sakura's grandpa and to show some respect to the elders. "Are you cosplaying?" Syaoran asked. He glanced at Sakura from head to toe.

Sakura glanced at her outfit and noticed that she was wearing a dress that Tomoyo made for her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to visit your grandpa?" Syaoran asked when Sakura ignored his question.

Sakura chuckled. "I don't think I need to report anything to you. You're not my husband."

Syaoran shrugged and grinned. "It's written in our agreement that we should inform each other our activities. Are you telling me that you're going to break that agreement?"

Sakura bit her lips. She knew he was right. "Why didn't you at least call me before you came?"

Syaoran sighed and took a few steps towards Sakura. "Cupcake, I've called you a few times, but you didn't pick up my call."

"Stop calling me cupcake," Sakura snapped. "It's sickening."

"You really need to pay attention to your cell phone. What if someone called you for an emergency?" Syaoran said.

Sakura crossed her arms. "They can always try grandpa land line or Tomoyo's cell phone," Sakura retorted.

"Look," Syaoran said. He took a deep breath and stared at Sakura. "I came here to pay a visit to your grandpa so no one will suspect anything."

Sakura narrowed her eyes towards Syaoran and smiled. "Aww... Your mother forced you to come here, didn't she?"

Syaoran's jaw hardened. He swallowed his saliva trying to get rid of a lump in his throat. "You're right," He admitted. "She made me come all the way here to pay some respect to your grandpa. But, don't worry. I don't have any intention to stay here for long. I'm going to leave as soon as I give your grandpa some souvenir from my mother."

Sakura was still smiling. She found it amusing that Syaoran had to come over because his mother forced him to. "Well, since you're already here, why don't you join us for dinner?"

Syaoran looked at Sakura and blinked his eyes.

Sakura giggled at Syaoran's expression. "I'm trying to be courteous here. I'm sure my grandpa would insist you to have dinner with us before you went back to Tomoeda."

Syaoran frowned. "You're not going to feed me cupcakes are you? I don't really favor sweet stuff."

"I'll try my best not to infect you with 'diabetes and obesity'," Sakura said. She remembered what Syaoran had said to her during their first meeting. "And don't worry. I didn't bake any cupcakes today."

"You're not trying to poison me are you?" Syaoran said and squinted.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his question and led him to the dining room.

Grandpa smiled widely when Sakura walked into the dining room with Syaoran. Grandpa motioned Syaoran to sit next to him and they both made a small chat about the ranch.

Sakura walked towards Tomoyo who were scooping rice into a bowl.

"What is he doing here?" Tomoyo whispered as she glanced towards Syaoran.

"He was forced by his mother to come over and meet grandpa to show some courtesy," Sakura explained.

"His mother's quite persistent with all the marriage stuff," Tomoyo chuckled. "I guess, we should be nice to him while grandpa's around, huh?"

"I guess so," Sakura sighed. "Let's play nice so grandpa wouldn't suspect anything."

"Alright." Tomoyo nodded.

"You're in luck," Grandpa said when Sakura walked in with a bowl of potato salad. "Sakura's an excellent cook. She studied in Le Cordon Bleu, Paris a few years ago before she decided to run a cupcake shop."

Syaoran turned to Sakura and stared at her for a couple beat. "I didn't know that she studied in Paris."

Sakura and Tomoyo took their seat and smiled to their grandpa.

"Yes, she did," Grandpa said. "You should try her apple pie. It's to die for!"

Syaoran chuckled. "Yes, I'm afraid that she might kill me with that," He muttered.

Sakura shoot him a glare and mouthed, "Would you like to die?"

"Please, eat to your hearts content. Don't be shy," Grandpa said as he took some ratatouille to his plate. "So, is your problem all solved?"

Sakura raised her face and stared at her grandpa's face for a while. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Grandpa paused and cleared his throat. "I thought it was strange when my granddaughters decided to pay me a visit. Then, your boyfriend came and it all made sense."

Sakura nearly choked on her rice when her grandpa said the word 'boyfriend'. She took a glass of water and drink up.

"Are you alright?" Tomoyo whispered.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"The two of you were having a fight, didn't you?" Grandpa guessed. "It's alright to have a fight once in a while. But you shouldn't stay mad at your boyfriend for long, Sakura. Or he'll end up looking for someone else," Grandpa said, winking.

Sakura turned to Syaoran and laughed nervously. "Yes, Grandpa."

The four of them continue to have their dinner in quiet. Grandpa and Syaoran would have small talks about Syaoran and somehow the topic drifted to soccer. Sakura swore that that was one of the most awkward dinners she's had.

**xxx**

"Thank you for dinner," Syaoran said to Grandpa when they walked Syaoran towards his car.

Grandpa nodded and smile. "You should thank my granddaughters. They're the chefs of the day."

Syaoran turned to Tomoyo and Sakura and smiled. "Thank you, both of you. That was really delicious."

"You're welcome," Tomoyo replied.

Sakura nodded in acknowledge.

Syaoran stretched his arm and shook his hand with grandpa.

"You should come and visit me again with Sakura," Grandpa said as he patted Syaoran on his shoulder.

"I will," Syaoran nodded. Then, he slid into the driver seat, started his engine and lowered the window. He turned to Sakura and smiled. "I'll see you this Sunday," he said. "And please keep your phone with you at all times."

Sakura rolled her eyes and the three of them watched Syaoran disappear into the night.

**- End of chapter 6: Are You Cosplaying?****–**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> How is it? Did you guys like it? I really hope you do. The two of them finally had some progress! Hopefully they will continue to do so. Anyway, I was writing this in a slow pace because I wanted to make it more realistic and I thought Sakura's relationship with her family and friends is as important as her romantic relationships. Don't you think?

**Please review!**

P.s: What's your favorite cupcake flavor?


	7. We could go to prison for this!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! And thank you Sakura-chan Master of the Clow for beta! I love you guys! Though, my review counts in decreasing, I got some long review from you guys. So, I'm quite contented. Enjoy the story ^^

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 7: We could go to prison for this!**

* * *

><p>Sakura stepped out from her bathroom and turned to her cousin with a smile. She dressed in a black pencil skirt and a white blouse with horizontal stripes pattern. "Okay, how do I look?"<p>

"You're going out in that?" Tomoyo asked as she looked up. Her eyes widened. "Honey, you look like you're going to a job interview."

Sakura shrugged. "Who cares what I'm wearing. It's not like I'm going to make an impression on anyone."

Tomoyo gasped. "As your cousin, best friend and stylist, I forbid you from going out without any fashion sense!"

"What about my fashion sense?" Sakura said, laughing. Her eyebrow arched.

Tomoyo smirked and marched towards Sakura's wardrobe and rummaged through it. She pulled out a short sleeve chiffon white dress and shoved it to Sakura. "Put this on," Tomoyo instructed.

Sakura inspected the dress and raised an eyebrow. The dress was thigh length and there are some small, lilac flower patterns on the hem of the skirt. Sakura swore she had never seen the dress in her wardrobe before. "Tomoyo! I can't wear this! It's too short!"

"Why not?" Tomoyo said. She folded her arms across her chest. "I thought you could dress up and let Li fall for you. Then, he'll have to pay that million bucks to you and you could get out from the situation."

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah, but I might have to pay him first for seducing."

"Well, at least it doesn't look slutty," Tomoyo said with a sigh. She turned around and continued poking around Sakura's wardrobe. She pulled out white third quarter skinny jeans and tossed it to Sakura. "Put this on too."

Sakura obediently put on the clothes and twirled around when Tomoyo motioned her to. "A little bit touch-ups here and there and you're ready to go." Tomoyo said as she tapped her chin. "Sit down, please."

Sakura sighed and plopped down on a chair. "What more do I need?"

Tomoyo snatched a straightening iron from the dressing table and began her work on Sakura.

"You don't really need to straighten my hair, you know," Sakura said. "It's naturally straight."

"Sakura," Tomoyo called. "Stop complaining and look straight ahead. I can't do my job properly when you keep turning your head around."

Sakura laughed and obediently sat straight and let Tomoyo work on her hair.

"What are you planning for today?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing much. We're planning on going to Tomoeda Square and split our way. I'll do my thing, and he'll do his. Then, we're going to meet again at four, and that's it."

"But what if your parents ask anything about it?" Tomoyo asked as she laid down the iron on the dressing table.

Sakura bit her lips to think. "We're going to make something up so that we'll have a matching story for our parents before we go home."

Tomoyo twirled Sakura around and clipped on a small flower beaded brooch on her dress. "Then, what are you going to do while you're on that date?"

"I don't know," Sakura admitted. "I'll probably watch some movies. It's not that I'll always get the chance to watch movies by myself. I'm going to relax and enjoy. That's all."

Tomoyo took a white hair band with a small ribbon from the dressing table and slid it on Sakura's hair. "There you go. Almost perfect," Tomoyo said, nodding.

Sakura laughed. "Almost perfect?"

"Yes," Tomoyo said smiling. "I can't style you perfectly. I'm afraid that Li would misunderstand and accuse you for trying to seduce him."

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan. I'm going now. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Sakura said with a smile. She pecked Tomoyo's cheek and grabbed her purse. Then, she walked down the stairs and saw her father sitting in the living room reading browsing through some papers.

Fujitaka looked up and smiled to his daughter. "Hello sunshine. You looked really pretty."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks."

"Syaoran's hasn't arrived yet, has he?" Fujitaka asked.

Sakura shook her head softly and sat across her father when he motioned his daughter to sit.

Fujitaka set his papers aside and leaned forward. He then gazed at his daughter's face and smiled. "How is your relationship with Syaoran going on?" He asked.

Sakura fidgeted. She didn't know how she should answer her father. She hated lying. But, she can't tell him the truth either. Her father would be really disappointed in her. "It's okay, I guess."

Fujitaka adjusted his glasses and combed his hair with his fingers. "Are you still mad at me because I threatened to pull my money from your bakery if you didn't date Syaoran?"

"No," Sakura said as she looked down to her toes. "I can never get mad at you, dad. I can't."

Fujitaka smiled at her daughter's confession. "You know that I love you, right?" Sakura looked up and nodded. "Syaoran is a good kid," Fujitaka said.

"Yes," Sakura agreed. "But dad, I don't think that he's the one for me. I don't think that anything will happen between us."

Fujitaka chuckled at his daughter's confession. "I know that the two of you agreed to date each other for a month. Why don't you use this chance to get to know him better? Only then may you decide if he's the one."

Sakura sighed and bit her moist lips.

"Sakura, I only want the best for you. As a parent, I wouldn't want something bad for my children," Fujitaka said softly. He paused and watched his daughter's reaction. "But, if you can't treat him like your boyfriend, maybe you can be friends with him first. Spend time with him and see where it will take you."

**xxx**

Hiiragizawa Eriol and Daidouji Tomoyo stepped out from a cab and looked around their surroundings. Tomoeda Square was packed with people as it always was every weekend. Lots of families, friends and couples decided to hang around the Square and spend quality time together. But unlike those people, Eriol and Tomoyo had different agenda. They weren't there to spend their time together.

"Why are we here?" Eriol asked. A few minutes ago, Tomoyo walked in the bakery, muttered something about Sakura's date and dragged him here. She made him wear cargo pants, a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. It's definitely not something that he would wear in his daily life. "And why am I wearing this?"

"Eriol, keep your voice down," Tomoyo said, almost whispering. "We're on stakeout. Try not to blow our cover."

"That's exactly why I asked," Eriol whispered back. "I thought Sakura and Li agreed to part their ways without doing any couple activities together. So, why are we still doing this?"

"Yeah," Tomoyo nodded and rummaged through her knapsack. "But aren't you curious what will happen between those two?"

"Not really," Eriol answered flatly. He glanced at Tomoyo and noticed her outfit. She wore a white plain T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Her long hair was covered with a beanie that she designed for her cousin a few days ago. It is definitely not something that she would wear on her usual day. He knew that Tomoyo would never go out with a plain Jane look. But still, she looked beautiful as she always did. "But, why are we whispering?"

"We don't want to attract any attention. That's why." Tomoyo turned to Eriol and pulled him into the Square. "Come on! Sakura told me that she's going to the Cinema. So, that is where we're headed."

"I don't think that's possible, Tomoyo," Eriol said.

Tomoyo stopped and turned to Eriol. "What? What is not possible?"

Eriol sighed. "I don't think it's possible to not attract any attention. Look around us, people are watching. We're acting really suspicious sneaking around the Square like this."

Tomoyo looked around and sure enough, some people were looking at them as if they were some weirdos. Tomoyo stood up straight, brushed her jeans and turned to Eriol.

Eriol cleared his throat. "We should act normally." He suggested.

Tomoyo stared at Eriol's face for a few seconds and squinted. "How does a normal stakeout look like?"

"I don't know." Eriol shrugged.

Tomoyo bit her lips and looked around her. Then she looked up to Eriol with a smile on her face. "Listen, why don't we disguise ourselves as a couple? I mean, look around us. We're surrounded by couples. I'm sure no one will suspect anything if we act like a couple. "

"Couple?" Eriol echoed. His heart fluttered a bit when Tomoyo suggested the idea. For a second he wished that Tomoyo would propose that they become a couple for real.

"I think that's a really good idea!" Tomoyo

said, beaming.

Eriol pulled Tomoyo's hand and dragged her to a corner. "It's Sakura," Eriol informed.

The duo hid behind the wall and watched Sakura and Syaoran walk before them. Sakura was walking in front of Syaoran while glancing at him every ten seconds.

"Okay, here, wear this in your ear," Tomoyo said as she handed Eriol a small earpiece.

"What's this?"

"It's a listening device," Tomoyo said. "I've implanted a small microphone in Sakura's brooch. That means we can hear their conversation as long as we're within fifty meters from them."

Eriol gasped. His eyes widened. "Where did you get this thing?"

"It wasn't so hard," Tomoyo said with a smirk. "My mother's company made a lot of these. This is only the prototype model."

"Tomoyo," Eriol called nervously while eying the earpiece. "Planting a listening device to other person without that person consent is against the law. We could go to prison for this!"

"We could if we get caught. All we've got to do is to make sure that we don't get caught. It's simple," Tomoyo said with a shrug. She took one of the earpieces and placed it inside her ear.

"But..."

"Shhh!" Tomoyo said. She placed her finger on Eriol's lips to keep him quiet and listened from the earpiece. "They're arguing about something!"

**xxx**

Sakura walked and turned around to glance at Li Syaoran. He was behind her. It's been that way since they decided to part their ways a few minutes ago. She stopped, turned to Syaoran and folded her arms across her chest. "Stop following me."

"I'm not following you," Syaoran said with a groan. His hand was in his pocket.

"Well," Sakura squinted. "Where are you going then?"

"I thought I would to see a movie. Since I've got plenty of time before we're going to meet up at four," Syaoran explained.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "It seems like we've got the same plan."

Syaoran sighed. "Well, why don't you go shopping for clothes like any other girl would do?"

"I'm sorry. But I don't usually go shopping for clothes without my cousin. It's too much hassle," She said and paused. "Why do you care where I'm heading to anyway?"

"Because _I_ was planning to see a movie,"

Syaoran said, frustrated. "I've never expected that you were planning to do the same."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We probably planned on watching a different movie anyway."

The couple walked towards the cinema and queued in the ticket line. Sakura was at the front and Syaoran was behind her. They both watched the show time screen and decided to watch different movies.

Sakura twirled around and bit her lips. "This is weird," she said to herself. But her voice was still within Syaoran's earshot. "But I swear that someone is watching me."

"What do you mean?" Syaoran asked. His voice sounded alert.

Sakura turned to Syaoran and frowned. "I feel like someone was watching my movement."

Syaoran squinted. "When did you start having this feeling?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it started after we started queuing in this line."

"Next!" The ticket attendant called.

Sakura marched forward and rummaged through her purse and pulled a few bank notes. She smiled at the attendant as she slipped the money on the counter and opened her mouth to say something.

"Two tickets for The Social Network, please." Syaoran said. Sakura looked up and saw Syaoran behind her.

The attendant took Sakura's money, and exchanged them with two tickets and her balance. "Thank you. Next please!"

Syaoran pulled a dazed Sakura out from the ticket counter and sighed.

"What the heck is wrong with you? What do you think you're doing?" Sakura asked with a frown. She couldn't understand what Syaoran trying to do. First, they both had agreed that they would be watching different movies. And suddenly, he made her pay for a movie that she didn't want to watch and apparently, she paid for his ticket too.

"We're in trouble," Syaoran said, briefly.

"What? Why?" Sakura said. Her voice sounded alarmed. She raised an eyebrow, and put her hands on her hips.

"I think my mother send someone to spy on us," Syaoran said desperately.

"What?" Sakura said. Her eyes widened.

Syaoran took a deep breath and brushed his hair with his fingers. "When you mentioned that you had a feeling that someone is watching, I had an instinct that my mother send someone to spy on us."

"But, that's," Sakura paused, looking for the right word to say. "Ridiculous!"

"You don't know my mother." Syaoran said desperately. "When we had our first meeting, in Petit Café, my mom had one of the waitress spying on us."

Sakura bit her lips and frowned. "Your mother is a really scary person."

Syaoran chuckled. "That's what I think sometimes."

"And you're making me watch The Social Network because of this?" Sakura said. Her eyebrow arched.

"Then, what did you plan to watch? Justin Bieber: Never Say Never?" Syaoran said, frowning a little bit. (**A.N**: I have nothing against J.B)

"No," Sakura shook her head softly. "I was planning to watch Patisserie Coin de rue."

"What?"

"It's a movie about a legendary patisserie. Nevermind. Why are we arguing about a movie anyway? This is so stupid, Sakura retorted. She frowned and headed to the popcorn and drinks counter. She turned to Syaoran and motioned him to queue in the line. "You're paying for my popcorn and drink."

**xxx**

"I feel like someone was watching my movement," Sakura said.

Tomoyo pulled Eriol by his arm and they both looked in a different direction. They peeked slowly and saw Sakura and Syaoran walk towards the ticket counter. "Think she saw us?" Tomoyo whispered.

"No," Eriol answered as he peeked behind his baseball cap. "But it sounded to me like they both going to see the same movie because of us."

"Is that good or bad?" Tomoyo said.

"Your mother is a really scary person," they heard Sakura say.

Tomoyo chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I have the same thought. Li's mother is a really scary person. I don't understand why she would always push her son to date someone he doesn't like."

"And I don't understand why we have to sneak and follow Sakura around," Eriol said and turned to Tomoyo. "To tell the truth, I don't get why you're eager to intervene. I mean, they did agree that they're going to part ways after a month. I don't see why we need to interrupt them any further."

Tomoyo stared at Eriol as if he came from a different planet. "We did this because we're concerned about Sakura."

"Yes, but don't you think that you should draw a line when it comes to that?" Eriol said involuntarily.

Tomoyo frowned and put folded her arms across her chest. "What do you mean?"

Eriol sighed. He gazed upon Tomoyo face and noticed that Tomoyo was a bit upset by his comment. "Well, I just thought that you're too fixated with Sakura. That's all."

Tomoyo bit her lips and stared into Eriol's eyes. "You think I'm obsessed?"

Eriol adjusted his glasses and groaned. "I didn't say that."

"That's exactly what you had in your mind, isn't it?" Tomoyo snapped. "You think I'm obsessed with my cousin."

"Tomoyo, you spend too much time with your cousin, you know that?" Eriol said. He took a deep breath and turned to Tomoyo. "Fine. Why are you so obsessed with your cousin?"

Tomoyo looked down to her shoes and considered what she should say. "You would never understand why I do all this, Eriol," She said. "It's not that I'm obsessed over her. I'm just..." Tomoyo paused and bit her lips.

"What?" Eriol said impatiently.

Tomoyo looked up, clenched her teeth and forced a smile to Eriol. "I'm doing this because I'm lonely."

xxx

Sakura plopped down on her seat and munched her popcorn. She glanced at the man beside her and sighed. Thank god they both bought individual popcorn, or she would have to suffer from sharing popcorn. Then, there would be awkward moments where they both reached for the popcorn at the same time. Sakura felt the cold wind blow through her and so she stroked her arms, trying to generate some heat to her body.

"You're not doing that on purpose are you?" Syaoran said.

"What?" Sakura replied. She raised an eyebrow and turned to Syaoran. "Do what?"

"Rubbing your arms, trying to get my sympathy and giving you my jacket?" Syaoran said.

"What?" Sakura chuckled. "Where did you get the idea?"

Syaoran shrugged. "I won't give you my jacket though."

Sakura rolled her eyes and snickered. "Save it for yourself. I wouldn't want your jacket."

The duo watched the movie in silent as it started. After a full thirty minutes, Sakura started to feel sleepy. She yawned and stretched her body a little bit to keep herself awake. Then, she looked at Syaoran from the corner of her eyes and noticed that he was so engulfed into the movie. She tried to blink a few times, but her eyelids became heavy. Then, she fell asleep.

Syaoran flinched when he felt something on his shoulder. He turned to his right and saw Sakura's head resting on his shoulder. He pushed her head away with his forefinger and focused back on the movie. After five minutes, he could feel her head back on his shoulder. He groaned and lowered his sitting position so that Sakura could rest her head comfortably.

**xxx**

"Oi," Syaoran said. "Wake up."

Sakura groaned and waved her hand trying to dismiss whoever it is that disturbed her sleep. "Mom, please let me sleep for another five minutes," She mumbled in her sleep.

Syaoran smiled in amusement and chuckled. "I'm not your mom. Come on. The movie has ended. Wake up, sleeping beauty," Syaoran said as he pinched Sakura on her cheek.

"Oww!" Sakura flinched and rubbed her cheek. Her eyes wide opened. "What did you do that for?"

Syaoran sighed and stared at Sakura. "The movie has ended."

Sakura startled and turn to look around her. The movie theater was bright and almost everyone was gone from their seats. "I slept through the entire movie?" She asked.

"Yes," Syaoran nodded. "And you had the nerve to drool on me too."

"I what?" Sakura gasped. She wiped the corner of her mouth with her palm to get rid of any stains of drool from her face. She looked at her palm and frowned. "I did not drool on you!"

* * *

><p><strong>- End of Chapter 7: We could go to prison for this!-<strong>

**Author's Note:** This isn't really what I planned. I was writing, and the next thing I know, ExT was having an argument! Eriol! What did you just do? (Ahem!) Please shower me with your love and review! Any constructive feedbacks are welcome! Thanks for reading guys.

P.s: I wonder what I will do if my parents told me that I was betrothed with someone I didn't know. I probably freak out and run away from home! lol What would you guys do if you're in that situation?


	8. Do you need a hug?

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

**Author's Note: **The minute I uploaded chapter 7, I refused to check out the reviews because I expect that many would be disappointed with SxS scene. I was afraid to see people flaming the chapter. So, I decided to read them after I've finished writing chapter 8, and was surprised when most of you said it was nice. Thank you so much for your reviews and support ^^

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 8: Do you need a hug?**

* * *

><p>Eriol stepped into the shower and let the water dripped from his hair and streamed on his naked body. He looked up to the shower head and closed his eyes. Everything was still vivid in his mind. He wasn't sure what really happened. Or how it happened.<p>

A few days ago, he and Tomoyo were following Sakura on her date. Somehow, they ended up in an argument. He slipped and told her that she's obsessed with her cousin. But, of course, he didn't do that on purpose. He didn't mean to say whatever it is that slipped through his mouth.

Then, Tomoyo smiled awkwardly and stormed off from him, and he hasn't see her ever since. It's been days now. He tried to call her. But, she didn't pick up. He went to her house, but he has been told that she wasn't around. She hasn't stopped by the bakery like she always had. And it started to worry him.

"Shit!" Eriol cursed as he punched the wall with his knuckle.

**xxx**

It was Valentine's Day. The bakery was hectic with people coming in and out-looking for cupcakes for their loved ones. Girls were giggling while choosing their cupcakes from the counter, and the music was booming with Watarirouka Hashiritai 7's Valentine Kiss.

"Oh my god!" Adam squeaked as he peeked behind the wall. "This is terrible. This is worse than Christmas. Heck! This is worse than any other occasion!"

Mai nodded. "You're right. I've never seen so many people rushing into the bakery like madmen! I'm glad that I didn't have to stand behind the counter. Look at Akari and Risa. They looked like shit!"

"If you don't get back to work, I'm going to make you two look like shit," Sakura said. She had her hands placed on her hips, and her eyes squinted to prove that she wasn't joking. "Work! Now!" Sakura said, pointing her finger to the workstation where the two of them should be.

"Aye aye sir!" Adam and Mai said. They lifted their right hand and placed it on their brow, palm downwards, imitating soldiers' salute and went back to their works.

Sakura shook her head as she watched her employee acting like kindergarteners. She rolled her eyes and walked towards Eriol. "Hey," She said cheerfully. "What's going on?"

Eriol turned to her, and replied with a brief 'hey' then went back to decorate his rose flavored cupcake with vanilla frosting and burgundy colored preserved rose.

Sakura frowned and studied Eriol's face for a moment. _'He looks miserable_,' she thought. "You're okay, Eriol?"

Eriol turned to Sakura and nodded. "Of course I'm okay. I'm just a bit busy with all these cupcakes. That's all. It's Valentine's Day after all."

Sakura squinted. "Are you sure that's all?"

"Yeah," Eriol replied without looking at Sakura.

Sakura sighed. She was a bit frustrated with Eriol's answer. "Of course that's not all. Eriol, you're wearing a 'Cupcakelicious' apron. You _never_ wear that. You said 'it wouldn't fit my personality,'" She said, doing the fingers quote.

Eriol shrugged. "Some things change."

"They change for some reason, Eriol." She turned at the floor and tapped her fingers lightly on the metal worktable when Eriol didn't reply. "So, you're not planning to tell me what happened between Tomoyo and you?"

That caught Eriol's attention. He looked up, stared into Sakura's eyes for a few second and adjusted his glasses with his forefinger. "Did she say anything to you?" He asked.

Sakura shook her head. "No. She hasn't told me anything though I begged her to. But, I know something went wrong when she suddenly decided to go with her mother on a business trip. She never likes those business trips. And she flinched every time I mentioned your name."

"Oh," Eriol said.

"Now, are you going to tell me what happened between you two?" Sakura said. Her eyebrow rose.

Eriol sighed and stared the preserved rose. "I'm not sure what happened either. We were okay, and suddenly we were arguing about something."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What are you arguing about?"

Eriol was quiet. He kept staring at his frosted cupcakes as if he was hoping that the cupcakes would answer the question for him.

Sakura pursed her lips into a thin line and took a deep breath. "Okay, I won't pry if you won't tell. But, please make up with her really soon. It worries me so much when my best friends aren't talking to each other." She patted on Eriol's shoulder.

Eriol turned to Sakura. "I want to. But she's not picking up my calls or answering my messages. I guess, she's avoiding me."

Sakura clicked her tongue and sighed. "Perhaps it is best to give her some time and space to let her clear her mind first. She can't be avoiding you forever."

Eriol nodded. "Perhaps I should."

Sakura rummaged through her purse and handed Eriol a small package. "Here you go."

"What is this?" Eriol said as he eyed the package suspiciously.

"Chocolates," Sakura told him. "I gave the rest of the staffs their share. This one is for you."

"Thank you," Eriol said as Sakura passed him the package. He turned to Sakura and noticed that she wasn't wearing her apron. "Are you going somewhere?"

Sakura sighed. "I've told you this morning that I'm going to the hospital."

"Hospital? Why? Are you feeling sick again?" Eriol asked in concerned.

"No," Sakura shook her head. "I'm fine. It's just that my father kept telling me that I should make some chocolates for my 'boyfriend.' I guess, I need to play my part as a good girlfriend now," Sakura said and shuddered.

Eriol chuckled. "Have fun!"

"I wish I would," Sakura said and snickered. "But, I assure you, there's nothing fun in doing this dating stuff."

**xxx**

Sakura stepped out from the elevator when it dinged. She looked around her and saw some nurses and doctors talking two meters in front of her. She walked straight to the counter and smiled to the nurses. "Hi," She said. "I'm looking for Li Syaoran?"

The nurse with jet black haired looked up. "You're looking for Dr. Li?"

Sakura nodded.

"You are?" The nurse said, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura fidgeted. "I'm uh..."

"Kinomoto?"

Sakura turned around and find that a woman in her nurse's outfit was staring at her with a smile. Sakura squinted a bit and find her somewhat familiar. She's seen the nurse before.

"You're Kinomoto, right? Syaoran's girlfriend?" The nurse asked. "I was the nurse who was in charge of you when you were hospitalized last week."

"Ah! Yes."

"I'm Mihara Chiharu, Dr. Li's colleague," The nurse introduced herself and stretched her arms. "You may call me Chiharu though. How's your head injury?"

Sakura smiled and shook hands with Chiharu. "It's better now."

"You're here to see Syaoran, I assume?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

"I'm glad you came," Chiharu said with a smile. "Come with me. I'll take you to him."

Sakura bowed slightly. "Thank you."

"Li has been in a foul mood today," Chiharu said as they both walked on the corridor. "One of his patients passed away this morning."

"Oh..."

Chiharu turned to Sakura and stared at her. "I hope you can talk to him and cheer him up. Maybe you can persuade him to go home or something. He has been here for thirty six hours without sleep."

"What?" Sakura's eyes widened. She's not really close to Li Syaoran. But she can't help but to worry a bit when she heard that he hasn't sleep a wink in thirty six hours. For a second, she wondered how he had managed to do that.

"You seemed like a really nice person," Chiharu said as she stopped in front of Syaoran's door. "We should definitely hang out sometimes."

"Alright." Sakura nodded. She stared at the door for a moment after Chiharu left. She took a deep breath to muster some courage and rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Yes?"

Sakura pushed the door open and saw Syaoran sitting behind his desk. She walked into the room and smiled cheerily. "Hi!"

Syaoran replied her with a groan.

Sakura bit her lips. Her eyes were roaming throughout the room. She took a few steps towards Syaoran and smiled faintly. "Uh... Chiharu told me what happened. About your patient. I'm sorry to hear that."

Syaoran was quiet. His eyes were staring at some papers on his desk. His right hand was on his chin.

Sakura tapped her right foot softly against the floor. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Syaoran sighed. "No. Not really."

"Well," Sakura paused and hesitated for a moment. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No."

Sakura twisted her fingers on her bag straps. "Do you need a hug?"

Syaoran's eyes widened. He turned to Sakura and frowned. "What?"

"My mother or Tomoyo would usually give me a hug when I was upset," Sakura told him. "It usually works for me. You can't underestimate the power of a hug. It could give you so much strength."

Syaoran chuckled. He combed his finger through his hair and turned his attention to Sakura. "What do you want? I mean, why are you here?"

"I'm here to give you this," Sakura said as she poked around through her purse and took out a small package tied with red ribbons. "It's chocolate. For Valentine's Day. My dad told me that I need to give you some, considering that we are dating now."

Syaoran took the package. "I don't like sweet stuff."

"I know." Sakura nodded. "But, I know that you like chocolate. You seemed happy when you're niece bought you chocolate. So, I made you some low-sugar chocolate truffles."

Syaoran nodded. "You're quite observant."

Sakura shrugged. "Why don't you try them? I know that chocolate can improve your mood."

Syaoran unwrapped the package and took one of the truffles. He held the chocolate in his hand and inspected it. Then, he popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "It's kind of spicy," He commented.

Sakura nodded. "Of course. They're chili chocolate truffles. I added some chili in there."

"You what?"

Sakura laughed at Syaoran's expression. "Don't worry. It's safe to eat," Sakura took one of the chocolate and bit into it. "See? Chocolate and spice is a perfect combo to improve your mood, you know."

Syaoran eyed her suspiciously and took another piece of truffle.

"We should go," Sakura said after a few minutes of silence.

"Go?" Syaoran echoed with a frown. "Where are we going?"

"I have somewhere I want to go," Sakura told him. "And I want you to come with me."

"Why me?" Syaoran said tediously. He folded his arm on his chest and leaned on his chair. "Why don't you go with your friends or your cousin?"

Sakura leaned forward. "I'm going to give you two options."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and motioned her to continue.

"It's either you come with me." Sakura paused and smiled. "Or stay here and I'll make up a story to tell your mother that you cancelled our date and stood me up."

Syaoran rolled his eyes and snickered. "What date? We didn't have any dates. I thought we have agreed that this is all acting."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, but I can make up a story about those dates."

Syaoran leaned forward and placed his hand on the table. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, we'll see about that."

**xxx**

"Laser tag?" Syaoran uttered as he stared at the device on his hand. "Why on earth would you want to play laser tag?"

Sakura shrugged and pulled Syaoran, and hid behind a wall. "I thought that you needed something to distract your mind."

"But laser tag?"

"What's wrong with laser tag?" Sakura said and adjusted her vest. "My brother and I usually play this for fun! Sometimes, my cousin. Tomoyo, would join us too."

Syaoran sighed and turned around. "I'm not in the mood for playing any games."

"Oh, don't be such a wimp!"

"Wimp?" Syaoran repeated. His eyes widened. "You called me a wimp?"

"Watch out!" Sakura shouted as she yanked Syaoran back to the wall. "What are you doing? You have to be careful of your surrounding or we'll lose this game in no time!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Look, all we've got to do is steals the opponents flag and takes it back here to win the match." Sakura instructed. "Don't let them steal ours. Think you can do that?"

Syaoran nodded and blinked his eyes a few times. He can't believe how enthusiastic Sakura is.

"Alright. Now, you'll attack from left and I'll go right."

**xxx**

Syaoran sat on the bench and stretched his body. He was tired from two rounds of laser tag game. He closed his eyes and relaxed his tensed shoulder a bit. He could feel the wind blew through him and he loosened up a bit more.

"Hey," Sakura said as she marched towards him with two bottles of mineral water in her hand. She handed one to Syaoran and smiled. "You're not bad for a first timer."

Syaoran chuckled. "But we lost the game."

"Yes." Sakura nodded and sat on the bench next to him. "But you had fun, right?"

Syaoran laughed. He uncapped the bottle and drank half of the water. He wiped his mouth with his hand and turned to Sakura. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sakura nodded in acknowledge. She drank her water and licked her lips. "We should do this again some times. As friends, of course."

Syaoran blew his breath softly and turned his attention to the scenery before him. A few cherry trees were lining up on the other side. "This isn't my first time, you know."

Sakura frowned. "What? Laser tag?"

"No." Syaoran chuckled and shook his head. "Watching my patient die before me."

"Oh."

"But I never get used to it. I've always think that there must have been something that I could have done to save them," Syaoran said. "But apparently, I couldn't. And it'd worse to tell their family and friends the bad news."

Sakura bit her lips. She didn't really know what she should say to console him. "Well, you did your best to help them. I'm sure they were happy that you tried your best," Sakura said, smiling.

Syaoran chuckled and turned to Sakura. "How would you know that they were happy?"

"I was once your patient, remember?" Sakura said. "And I watched how you interacted with your other patients. You were so attentive towards them. And they seemed so happy when you came and talked to them.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "You watched me?"

"Hey! I've got to know what kind of man my dad wanted me to marry," Sakura said she turned to Syaoran and nodded. "Yes. I watched you. But, I did that out of curiosity."

Syaoran turned his attention back to the scenery and closed his eyes. Somehow, he felt relaxed. He felt lighter. It's like whatever has been upsetting him scattered away.

**xxx**

Eriol walked into the night. He seemed somewhat disturbed. He sighed and looked up towards his house. He squinted when he saw a figure in front of his house. He walked closer, and noticed that it was someone he knew. Someone he missed. Tomoyo. She was squatting down; hugging her knees and her face was buried between her legs.

"Tomoyo?" Eriol said with a frown.

Tomoyo looked up and saw Eriol standing before her. She stood up frantically and brushed the hem of her skirt. "Hi," she said and smiled awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Eriol asked.

Tomoyo eyes shifted. She bit her lips and took a deep breath. "Sakura called me this afternoon," she said. "She threatened me. If I didn't make up with you, she wouldn't let me designed her clothes anymore."

"Sakura told me that you were going to a business trip with your mother." Eriol said.

"Yeah," Tomoyo said. "I came back this afternoon."

Eriol nodded and stared at her. He noticed that she seemed cold. She must have been waiting for him for quite some times. "How long have you been waiting for me?" he asked.

"I guess it has been an hour," Tomoyo replied and she playfully kicked the ground. She didn't dare to look up at Eriol.

"You've been waiting that long?" Eriol's eyes widened.

Tomoyo nodded.

Eriol was happy to see her standing before him. But, he wanted to be careful around her. He didn't want to upset her again. "Tomoyo, I'm sorry for what I've said to you the other day," he said. "I didn't really mean it."

"My mother was always busy with her company," Tomoyo uttered after a few minutes of hesitation.

Eriol flinched. "W-what?"

"I didn't have many friends," Tomoyo said. She stared down to her shoes and chuckled. "Well, my so-called-friends were actually hanging around me because they thought I could provide them with whatever they wanted."

Eriol was quiet. He studied Tomoyo's face with confusion. He had no idea what she was trying to say to him. But, he decided to listen to her.

"Sakura was the first person who hung around me because of who I am," Tomoyo said, and laughed. "Although, she may have hung around me because I'm her cousin." Tomoyo looked up and her eyes met Eriol. "I don't hang around Sakura because I'm obsessed with her. I was lonely and I didn't have anyone to turn to. She's the only friend I've ever had."

Eriol's gaze softened. "Tomoyo, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," He muttered.

Tomoyo shook her head softly. "You don't have to be sorry. I guess, everyone would see me as someone who is obsessed with her cousin. Maybe everyone think that I'm a creep."

"I definitely don't think that you're a creep," Eriol said abruptly. "Tomoyo," Eriol called. He took a step towards Tomoyo and held her shoulder softly. "I didn't mean what I said the other day. I said what I said because I was worried about you," Eriol said and chuckled. "And I guess, I was a tad jealous of Sakura."

"Jealous?" Tomoyo said with a frown. She shoved away Eriol's hand from her shoulder and glared. "Eriol, that doesn't make sense. Why would you be jealous of Sakura?"

Eriol sighed and combed his finger through his hair. "Because I've always wanted you to look at me. Because I'm in love with you, Tomoyo."

**- End of Chapter 8: Do you need a hug?-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This chapter was a bit short. Okay, so, how about showering me with love and reviews in exchange of Eriol's showering scene? **:P**


	9. Oh, crap!

**Author's Note:** I'm glad most of you like the last chapter ^^ I hope you're going to love this one too! Please give me some love and review!

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 9: Oh, crap!**

* * *

><p>"You played two rounds of laser tag with Li Syaoran?" Tomoyo repeated for the second time. Her eyes were darted towards her cousin, carefully observing her.<p>

Sakura nodded.

"Li Syaoran?" Tomoyo repeated.

"Yeap!" Sakura confirmed. "The one and only."

Tomoyo stared at her cousin for a few seconds and went back to browsing dresses. "Wow!" she said. "I thought you weren't going be dating each other and part after a month. What happened to that?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "We're not dating. He seemed quite upset yesterday so I went out with him to cheer him up," Sakura explained. "And my dad advised me to spend some times with him as friends so that's what I did. Plus, he isn't as bad as I thought he was."

"Yeah," Tomoyo paused. She pulled out a long dress with plunging neckline and shoved it to Sakura. "And the next thing I know, you'll probably be singing, 'Why, why are we still friends, when everything says we should be more than what we are.'"

"Huh, 98 Degrees' Why Are We Still Friends," Sakura said, identifying the song. She inspected the dress, shrugged and tossed it to the counter. "I'm not going to wear that. It's too revealing," she commented on the dress.

Tomoyo sighed and walked towards her cousin, picked up the dress, and hung it on the rack. "Honey, have you ever considered that you might actually fall for him after spending too much time with him?"

"What?" Sakura chuckled. "Is it even possible to fall for someone within a month? And I've been going out with him for what? Three dates? Four if you counted this one," she said. "And I thought you were in my side, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo clicked her tongue. "I _am_ on your side. But that was when you were unwilling to do this whole dating thing. I'm helping you because you don't want to do it. Now, that you're actually going along your parents plan, it's a whole different story." Tomoyo paused and leaned towards the counter. "Tell me again, where are you going to this evening?"

"His mentor's wedding, I think."

"Right. A. Wedding!" Tomoyo nodded. "It's a perfect spot to reflect how lonely you are. Then, you might consider getting married. The next thing you know, you started to think: 'Oh! There's this hot looking guy next to me. Wait! He's the guy that my parents want me to marry!'"

Sakura laughed at Tomoyo's remark. "My dear cousin, you're being delusional. And let's not forget that there's the agreement. I can't fall in love with him."

"No one plans to fall in love, Sakura. It just happens. Even a small gesture could make you fall in love with him," Tomoyo said and shrugged. She turned to some shelves and browsed through more dresses. "'There can be miracles, when you believe. Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill.'"

"Mariah and Whitney's When You Believe." Sakura recognized the song. "You've been quoting a lot of songs today, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "The point is, it's possible," she said and pulled a chiffon one shoulder straps dress with ruffled skirt. She took one look at the dress and tossed it to Sakura.

"But, he's not even my type," Sakura said, eying the dress. "And this dress isn't my type. Tomoyo, are you really helping me to get a dress?"

Tomoyo widened her eyes and decided to ignore her comment on her dress. "Have you really checked him out? He's really good looking. No! Wait! He's _hot_. Didn't you notice how the nurses and people in the hospital look at him?"

Sakura squinted. "You checked him out?" she said and chuckled. "Eriol is going to be really sad when he hears this."

Tomoyo flinched and turned to her dresses. She browsed through her dresses and contemplated. She bit her lip to control her anxiety.

"Wait!" Sakura said. "Did something happen between you and Eriol yesterday?"

Tomoyo turned to her cousin and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Did you two make up?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. And don't try and change the subject," Tomoyo said with a sigh. "We're in the middle of a discussion about you and Li Syaoran."

"Right."

"All I'm saying is that I'm worried about you, Sakura," Tomoyo said.

Sakura sighed, frustrated. "Then, what am I supposed to do? I don't like the idea of marrying someone I'm not in love with. I'm sure he feels the same way too."

Tomoyo pulled out a pastel blue evening dress and handed it to Sakura. "You're playing a really dangerous game. Someone could get hurt in this game. _You_ could get hurt in this. I just don't want that to happen."

Sakura marched towards her cousin and hugged her. "Thanks for worrying about me, Tomoyo!" She pulled away and said, "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be alright."

Tomoyo stared at her cousin with concern and sighed. "Fine! Just go into the fitting room and try this on," Tomoyo said, referring to the dress in her hand.

"Alright," Sakura said with a smile. She marched into the fitting room and pulled the curtains.

xxx

"Why am I doing this?" Li Syaoran asked, grunting. He followed his sister Sheifa around the store with some shopping bags in one hand.

"Well," Sheifa paused as she went through some clothes on the shelves. "We haven't spent time together for quite some times. I thought it might be a good chance for us to catch up."

"Catching up my ass," Syaoran commented. "You just wanted someone to carry your bags."

"Syaoran, watch your language. Aiko could hear you," Sheifa warned and glanced at her daughter. "I don't want you to set a bad example to my child."

"I'm sorry," Syaoran said with a sigh. "If you wanted to go shopping with someone, couldn't you go with your husband?"

Sheifa shrugged. "Sou's busy." She pulled out a shirt, examined it and hung it back to the shelf.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "And you think I'm not?"

"You have the day off."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "I _took_ a day off to attend Terada's wedding."

"Yes, but you're free now, aren't you?" Sheifa pulled out another shirt and smiled. "Now, take care of Aiko, I'm going to try this on."

Syaoran sighed as he watched his sister walked into the fitting room and ran his fingers through his hair. He was hoping that he could use the day to rest. It wasn't every day that he would get a chance to relax. He turned to his niece when he noticed her tugging on his pants. "Hey!" he said, smiling.

Aiko was stretching both her arms, asking him to carry her.

Syaoran bended down a bit and lifted his niece. "Xiao Ai, when you grow up and have little brothers, you must not treat them like your mother treats me, understand?"

Aiko nodded and pointed to a strawberry hair band.

"What?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "You want that?"

Aiko blinked her eyes for a few times. "Can I?"

"Of course you can," Syaoran said, laughing. He picked up the hair band and passed it to Aiko. He turned around and halted when he spotted a pink phone strap hanging a few shelves away.

"Pretty!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Shall we buy this strap for Kinomoto-san? You know, as a thank you gift for trying to cheer me up?" Syaoran said more to himself. He turned to his niece and saw her staring at him blankly. "But, you mustn't tell your mother, alright?"

"Em!" Aiko nodded.

xxx

"Wow!" Sakura said as she walked out from the fitting room. She stared at her cousin and noticed that she was carrying a bouquet of cupcake roses from her bakery. "Where did that came from?"

"A delivery came for Daidouji-san," Yanagisawa Naoko, the shop manager replied when Tomoyo continued to stare at the cupcakes absent minded-ly.

"What? I never asked anyone to send any cupcakes," Sakura said with a frown. She walked towards her cousin and peeked at the cupcakes – ten pieces of chocolate cupcakes. Each of them was frosted into a rose with velvety red frosting. "And those cupcakes are definitely _not_ from my bakery. I've never seen those before."

Tomoyo took a deep breath and placed the cupcakes bouquet on the table. Then, she walked towards the shelves and picked up her sewing tools. "It's from Eriol."

"Oh, that explains everything," Sakura said nonchalantly. "Wait! What?" She walked towards her cousin and stared at her for a brief second. "Okay, _what_ happened between you two last night?"

Tomoyo bit her lips as she remembered what happened last night.

xxx

_Eriol sighed and combed his finger through his hair. "Because I've always wanted you to look at me. Because I'm in love with you, Tomoyo."_

_Tomoyo stared at him for a few minutes idly before she finally said something. "What?" Was all that left her lips. She didn't expect him to tell her that he was jealous of her cousin. And most importantly, she never expected that he would tell her that he love her. "Do you know what you just said?"_

"_Yes," Eriol nodded._

_Tomoyo frowned. "You're in love with a creep?"_

_Eriol chuckled. "You're not a creep. I don't care if you're obsessed with your cousin. To tell you the truth, I've always thought you looked cute when you get hyped up over Sakura."_

_Tomoyo flinched and took a few steps backward. She could tell that her cheek was burning from embarrassment. "Eriol, are you in your right mind?"_

"_No," Eriol said. He took a step toward her. "I don't think so. I'm not in my right mind. It tormented me when you disappeared for those few days. I thought I would go crazy, Tomoyo. So, I decided that I would tell you how I feel when I saw you again. And here you are."_

"_But," Tomoyo paused and bit her lip. She was nervous. This is definitely not what she thought would happen. She was planning to come over and explain why she was obsessed and hope that everything would turn out normal. But, this is far from normal. "I'm not sure how I feel about you."_

_Eriol adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath. "Tomoyo, do you dislike me?"_

"_No," Tomoyo replied abruptly. Her hand was flailing. "It's not like I dislike you or anything like that."_

"_Good," Eriol said. He took a step towards her and looked into her eyes._

"_But this is too sudden." Tomoyo commented and swallowed. "I'm not sure what my feelings are towards you. I mean, I'm not sure if I have the same feelings as you have towards me. I never thought anything like this would happen before."_

"_Well, then," Eriol paused and smile. "I guess I'll have to work to make you fall in love with me."_

_Tomoyo stared into Eriol's eyes and noticed that he wasn't joking around. "Oh, crap!" she muttered when she noticed her heart was beating rapidly._

xxx

Tomoyo took a deep breath and altered something on the dress. "He told me that he loves me." She muttered. She decided to leave all the details from Sakura. After all, she would get really uncomfortable.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Finally!"

"Wait." Tomoyo spun Sakura around so that they were facing each other. "What do you mean, finally? You knew all along that he," Tomoyo paused and grunted. "Loves me?"

Sakura nodded. "Everyone in my bakery knows that he_ loves_ you. But, well, I didn't notice that he had any feeling towards you until Adam and Steve pointed it out to me."

"And you never told me?" Tomoyo squinted.

"Well if I did that, things would get really awkward between you two. You would treat him differently, and Eriol would be pissed," Sakura explained. "So, what did you tell him?"

Tomoyo grunted and spun Sakura around to resume her work on the dress. "I don't know, I freaked out. I sort of run away from the situation. I told him that I had to go home because my mom was waiting for me."

"That was a lame excuse," Sakura deadpanned.

"I know!" Tomoyo retorted. "But, what am I supposed do, Sakura?"

Sakura shrugged. "You could tell him that you like him too."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo hissed.

"Why not?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Eriol will probably be singing, 'Why, why are we still friends, when everything says we should be more than what we are'."

"You can't quote a song that I just quoted. That's not fair." Tomoyo retorted. She walked towards the shelves and took a cream colored belt. "And I'm not sure what I really feel for him."

"I thought you liked him too," Sakura said. "I mean, I've never seen you so at ease with anyone, except for me and Eriol."

Tomoyo encircled her arms around Sakura and buckled the belt around Sakura's waist. "Yes, I like him. But, I'm not sure if I like him _that_ way," She replied. She took a few steps backwards and watched Sakura in pastel blue chiffon dress. Silver beads were scattered around her neckline. "Now you're done."

xxx

"KONGURACHUREESHON!"

Sakura winced when some girls were standing on the stage and started singing and dancing Morning Musume's _Happy Summer Wedding_. She looked around her and noticed that there were less than a hundred people attending the reception. The couple held a small reception for close family and friends. She turned to the married couple and saw them laughing happily with none other than Li Syaoran.

_'It must be nice to have someone you love at your side like that_,' she thought. She wished that she would someday have someone that she loved dearly standing next to her like that.

"_It's a perfect spot to reflect how lonely you are. Then, you might consider getting married. The next thing you know, you started to think: Oh! There's this hot looking guy next to me. Wait! He's the guy that my parents want me to marry!"_

Sakura shook her head as she remembered what Tomoyo had told her earlier. "Oh, crap!" She muttered under her breath. She glanced at Syaoran and noticed that he was walking towards her with the newlywed. She stood up and smiled politely.

"This is my girlfriend, Kinomoto Sakura," Syaoran introduced her.

Sakura stretched her hand out and shook hands with the happy couple. She couldn't help but to feel a bit awkward when he introduced her as his girlfriend. "Hi," Sakura said. "Congratulation!"

"Thank you," Terada said, smiling. "You remember me, don't you?"

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "You're the doctor. Thank you so much for treating me when I was admitted to the hospital."

Terada shook his head and turned to the woman beside him. "This is my wife, Rika."

Rika smiled politely. "You two look really compatible together."

Sakura laughed nervously at her comment. She made small talks with the bride about the wedding while Syaoran and his mentor were discussing something about work. After a while, Terada walked towards them and snatched his wife away for a dance. She glanced at around her surrounding and noticed that almost everyone was on the dance floor. She turned to Syaoran and noticed that he was watching those people.

"_Have you really checked him out? He's really good looking. No! Wait! He's _hot_."_

Sakura bit her lip when she remembered her conversation with Tomoyo. He was a tall man. But, perhaps, her brother Touya was a bit taller than him. She glanced at Syaoran and noticed his broad shoulders and he was sturdy built. Then, she looked up and studied his face. He had windblown messy hair, a strong jaw line, clean-shaven face and big brown eyes. He always had a stern look in his eyes when she was with him. Sometimes, she wondered if he was trying to hide something beneath those eyes.

"Oh, crap!" Sakura muttered when she noticed that she had been watching him for a while.

"What?" Syaoran said. His eyebrow arched.

"Nothing," Sakura replied and shook her head.

"Okay," Syaoran chuckled. "I thought you're going to ask me to dance or something."

Sakura laughed at his comment. "Why would you think that?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Well, you randomly asked me if I wanted a hug, yesterday. I figured you might randomly asked me to dance." Syaoran stared at her for a brief moment and hesitated. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"Huh?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Well, everyone else is on the dance floor." Syaoran said as he scanned his surroundings. Almost everyone was on the dance floor when the band started to play Brian McNight's _Back at One_. "We'll look really awkward being the only two sitting here."

"I'm not really good at dancing," Sakura whispered.

Syaoran leaned forward. "If you refuse to have this dance with me, I could accuse you for not participating in each other's activities. That would cost you million, you know."

Sakura squinted. "You're threatening me."

"Hey, you started it," Syaoran said with a smirk. "I learned that from you."

Sakura bit her lower lip, not really sure what she should do. "I thought, we agreed to no physical contact without a family members' presence?"

Syaoran chuckled and stood up. "Well, Terada-sensei is like family to me," he said. "My mother is quite close with him. Sometimes, she called him to check up on me."

Sakura chuckled. "Your mother is not someone to mess with."

"Yeah." Syaoran nodded. "But, don't worry. She's only acting like that with me."

She groaned, stood up and placed her hand on Syaoran's. "Perhaps it's because you're the only son she has."

"Perhaps..." Syaoran said and led her to the dance floor and twirled her around so that they were facing each other. He took her hand and placed it on his shoulder. His arm was on her waist.

"What?" Sakura said, raising an eyebrow when she noticed that Syaoran was staring at her.

Syaoran smiled and shook his head. "I just realized that I we haven't really got to know each other well." He said. "For instance, I didn't know that you're a terrible dancer. You have to stop stepping on my feet. Or are you doing that on purpose?"

Sakura laughed. "Shut up. I told you that I'm not a good dancer."

xxx

"Thank you," Sakura said, peeking behind the window as Syaoran dropped her off at her home. "I had fun tonight."

Syaoran nodded. "Cupcake," he called when Sakura turned around and headed to the house.

"I told you not to call me cupcake," Sakura hissed. "Why can't you call me Sakura like everybody does?"

"Why not? I think it matches you perfectly." Syaoran replied.

Sakura groaned. "What do you want?"

"I got this for you." Syaoran said as he tossed her a small box. "It's a thank you gift for trying your best to cheer me up. And this gift seemed to match you perfectly too." Syaoran smirked, raised his arm and waved to Sakura before he disappeared with his car.

Sakura frowned and stared at the green gift box with small yellow ribbons. She took off the lid, and chuckled when she saw what's in the box – a pink cupcake with a red cherry on top was hanging on the phone strap.

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><p><strong>- End of Chapter 9: Oh, crap!-<strong>

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I told my friends that I wanted them to sing and dance Happy Summer Wedding when I get married. And the idea was rejected. Hahaha~ Did you have anything you want in your wedding?


	10. I've never said that!

**Author's Note:** It's been two months since I start this fanfiction! Until You're Mine reached chapter 10 within these two 's something to be happy about ^^

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 10: I've never said that!**

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><p>Kinomoto Sakura stared at the blank paper, her hands on her hips. She wiggled her mouth as she picked up the black marker pen on the table and wrote something. She stared at the paper and smiled in satisfaction. She marched out from her small office and walked into the kitchen. Then, she picked up a colorful thumbtack, and stuck the paper on the notice board.<p>

"Yes!" Steve exclaimed behind her. "Guys! We're going to have a two day vacation next week!"

"What? Seriously?" the others said.

"Yeap!" Steve nodded excitedly. "Kinomoto-san put the memo on the notice board."

The others gathered around to read the notice. Sure enough, Sakura did put up a memo saying that the bakery is going to be closed for two days next week for inventory and kitchen cleaning. Sakura thought that it would be better to hire a cleaning service company. At least her staff would be able to get some time off and relax after all their hard work.

"Alright," Sakura said as clapped her hands to gain her employee's attention. "You guys can be happy later. Please get back to work. We've got more cupcakes to bake," she said and turned to Eriol. It seemed like he didn't join the others celebration. He was busy topping his cookies n' cream cupcakes with some Oreos.

"Hello!" Steve said, waving his hand in front of Eriol.

Eriol snapped out from his thought and pushed his glasses back with his forefinger. "What?"

"Can I use the piping bag?" Steve said, raising an eyebrow. "If you're not using it, of course."

Eriol stared at the piping bag and nodded. "Sure."

"Are you okay?" Steve asked. "You don't seem happy. Didn't you read the notice?"

"What notice?" Eriol glanced at the notice board and shook his head. "What does it says?"

"The bakery is going to be closed for two days for inventory and kitchen cleaning," Steve explained with a smile. "We're going to have a two day vacation next week! You should be happy!" he said before he walked away with the piping bag.

"What's wrong with you?" Sakura asked. Her eyebrow raised. "You seem absent minded. Is there something bothering you? Are you sick?"

Eriol chuckled at her questions. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking though."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I thought you resolved everything with my cousin. I heard about your confession too," she said whispering the last part.

"I guess she told you, huh?" Eriol replied quietly.

"I'm her best friend. Of course I would know about this." Sakura beamed. "So, what happened? Why are you looking all gloomy?"

Eriol turned to her and sighed. "I think she's avoiding me, Sakura."

"It might be your imagination, Eriol," Sakura said and smiled reassuringly. "Maybe she's not avoiding you. Maybe she just needs some time to think of how she really feels about you."

Before Eriol could respond, Risa walked into the kitchen and nodded to Sakura. "Sakura, someone is here to see you."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "A customer? A supplier?"

Risa shrugged as Sakura walked out from the kitchen. "Sheifa!" Sakura said when she saw her standing behind the cupcake counter. "This is a surprise! What are you doing here?"

Sheifa looked up from the cupcake display and smiled. "Oh, I just thought that I should visit your bakery. I've never been to your bakery before. It looks really nice, right, Aiko?"

"Thank you," Sakura said as she pushed the small swing door that separated the serving area and the small dining area and went to Sheifa. She noticed that a small girl in a blue dress stood beside her. "Hi!" she said as she bended down to Aiko.

"Are you busy?" Sheifa asked.

"Well," Sakura looked up and scanned her bakery's surroundings. The bakery wasn't packed with customers, but the crowd was still there. "Not really," she said with a smile.

"Great!" Sheifa exclaimed as she clapped her hand together. "Let's grab something to eat and go shopping."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You mean right now?"

"Yeah," Sheifa nodded with a smile on her face. "It's lunchtime. I thought the three of us could hang out together and have some sisterly bonding."

Sakura bit her lips and hesitated. "Alright," she agreed.

**xxx**

Syaoran grabbed his iPhone from the table and skimmed for any messages. He forked his chicken salads and looked up to his friends, Yamazaki Takashi and Mihara Chiharu.

"We should definitely hang out some time," Chiharu said and drank her bottled water.

"We are," Syaoran said. "What do you think we're doing now? Dancing?"

"No, silly, I was talking about your girlfriend and us. A double date." Chiharu said. She had a sudden urge to hit Syaoran's head like she usually did to Takashi but decided not to. "Were you even listening to this conversation?"

"I'm sorry," Syaoran said apologetically. "I was reading a few messages. I wasn't really listening."

Chiharu sighed and glanced on her boyfriend. "Tell him again, Takashi."

Takashi swallowed a piece of his sandwich. "Chiharu was saying that it's time for you to introduce your girlfriend to us," he said.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Chiharu rolled her eyes. "Because we're your friends, that's why. Don't we have a right to get to know your girlfriend? Aren't you going to properly introduce us?" she bombarded him with questions.

"Didn't you meet her when she was admitted to the hospital?" Syaoran said.

"Yes, I did." Chiharu nodded. "But, we weren't properly introduced. And Takashi hasn't met her yet," she reasoned.

"Maybe next time," Syaoran promised halfheartedly. Then, he checked his iPhone when it beeped and sighed.

"What?" Takashi said. "Is there an emergency?"

"Nah," Syaoran shook his head. "It's my mother. She wants me to be home early. My sisters and cousin are coming over for dinner."

"Dinner?" Takashi echoed. He looked up from his sandwich and squinted. "So, you're not going to be there during Kitano-san's surgery this evening?"

"Nope," Syaoran said as he forked into his salad. "Not me. I'm off the case."

**xxx**

Sakura spooned some of her shrimp pasta and fed it to Aiko. She smiled and grabbed a napkin to wipe the small girl's mouth. Then, she took a spoonful of her pasta and shoved it into her mouth.

"So," Sheifa started. "How is it going between you and my little brother? He doesn't treat you like a jerk, does he?"

Sakura swallowed her pasta and laughed nervously. "It's all good, I guess," she said smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry."

"You're not backing up for him or anything are you?" Sheifa said. "Because I know that he can be a real jerk sometimes," she said before she took a sip from her juice. "And there's the fact that he's dating you because our mother forced him to."

"I understand that," Sakura said nodding. After all, she was in the same situation as he is.

"Of course, he had to comply with our mother's wishes because he didn't want to upset her again," Sheifa blabbered.

"Again?" Sakura repeated. She bit her lip when she realized that she shouldn't be nosy about Syaoran and his affairs.

"Well, our mother was disappointed when he decided to study medicine instead of business management to take over Li's Corporation," Sheifa said and leaned forward. "Syaoran won't ever say it, but we all knew that he wanted Fanren to manage the business to help her."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. She was curious, but wasn't sure if she should say anything.

"Fanren went through so much after her divorce," Sheifa explained. "And managing the company helped her so much to forget about her ex-husband." Sheifa stopped and turned to Sakura. "I'm sorry, I guess, I've been bored you with all these stories."

Sakura shook her head and smiled politely. "No, not at all."

"I hope you could be patient with him," Sheifa said. "He's a real sweetheart when you got to know him a little bit more," she said as she fished through her purse and took out her cell phone when it rang. She stared at the screen, stood up and signaled Sakura that she's going to take the call. "Yes, mother?"

Sakura watched Sheifa disappeared behind the glass door and turned her attention to Aiko. "Your Uncle seems like a really nice person," she said as she patted the little girl's head. She understood a bit why her father wanted her to get to know Syaoran better. And she understood why her mother wasn't so against the whole thing.

After a few minutes, Sheifa walked towards the table with a smile. "Good news!" she announced. "My mother wants you to come over for dinner."

**xxx**

Syaoran parked his car into the garage and turned off the engine. He walked into the house and headed straight to the kitchen and found his sisters were making some dumplings.

"You're home!" His cousin, Meiling, said with a smile. She wiped her hand on the apron and squeezed him tightly. "I haven't seen you in a while, Syaoran. It's been a year!"

Syaoran smiled. "Eight months," he corrected.

"You should go upstairs and wash yourself," his mother, Yelan, said behind him. "I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Syaoran nodded. "Alright," he answered obediently. He paused when he recognized a familiar face in the kitchen. His pretend-girlfriend was preparing dumplings with his sisters. "You!"

Sakura smiled nervously. "Hi,"

"What are you doing?" he asked with a frown.

Sakura looked at what she was doing. A spoon on one hand and a dumpling skin on the other. Then she looked up to Syaoran. "Making dumplings with your sisters?"

"Syaoran, don't be rude to our guest," Feimei, his third sister, said. She turned to her other siblings and giggled.

"I told you he'd be surprised!" Sheifa said with a smirk on her face. She turned to Fuutie, and winked.

"Excuse me," Syaoran said to his sisters. His eyes were stern. "I need to talk to her for a bit"

Sakura glanced at Fanren and nodded. She washed her hand, and dried them with a paper towel. Then, she untied her apron, hung it neatly on the rack and followed Syaoran to an empty room.

"What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked as he twirled around to face her.

"Sheifa dragged me here," Sakura explained. "She came over my bakery this afternoon and took me to lunch and shopping."

"Shopping?" Syaoran echoed and raised an eyebrow. He remembered that he was forced to accompany Sheifa shopping a few days ago. "That woman has a serious shopping problem," he said as he shook his head in disbelief. He turned his attention back to Sakura. "And you didn't think of warning me?"

Sakura shrugged. "I thought you knew that I was coming over for dinner."

"Well, I didn't." Syaoran scowled. "And you agreed to come over?"

Sakura sighed. "What was I supposed to do? Your sister said that I should get to know your family members. And the last time I _should_ have come over, I had an accident in my bakery."

Syaoran nodded as he remembered the incident.

"Syaoran," Yelan called. "What are you doing? I thought, I told you to wash yourself up?"

Syaoran turned to her mother and nodded. "Alright." He turned back to Sakura. "Just be careful with my sisters."

**xxx**

Daidouji Tomoyo yelped when she exited her boutique. Her right hand was on her chest. Then, she raised her eyebrow. "Eriol?" she said. "What are you doing here? Were you waiting for me?"

Eriol turned to her and smiled as he pushed his glasses with his forefinger back in place. "Yes." He nodded to confirm. "I need to ask you something."

Tomoyo looked up and caught his eyes. "W-what?" she stuttered.

"Tomoyo," Eriol paused and studied her face. His eyes then trained on hers. "Are you trying to avoid me?"

"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. Then, she chuckled. "No. Where did you get that idea? Why would you think that I'm trying to avoid you?"

Eriol's gaze softened on her. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Sakura thinks that you need some time to figure out your feelings. But, I thought that maybe you were burdened by my confession or something like that."

Tomoyo bit her lips. "But, I'm..."

"It tortures me when you avoid me, Tomoyo," he said, cutting her off. "Sometimes, I wish that I hadn't told you how I feel about you. Then maybe, you wouldn't be avoiding me."

"Eriol," Tomoyo called. She looked at the man before her and sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am trying to avoid you. I was scared. I didn't know what to do, or what to think."

Eriol shifted his eyes and turned his attention to his shoes.

"All I need is some time to think about all this, Eriol." Tomoyo bit her lower lip.

Eriol nodded and turned around.

Tomoyo sighed exasperatedly. "Now, where are you going?"

"You told me that you need some time to think," Eriol said as he turned around. "Obviously, I have to walk away and give you some time to do that."

"So, you're just going to give up?"

Eriol frowned and stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"A few nights ago, you told me that you were going to make me fall in love with you," Tomoyo said with a frown. "So now you want to give up before you even try to do anything? You're going to just give up before you make a move?" She pursed her lips. She couldn't believe what she had said, or what possessed her to have the confidence to say anything like it.

Eriol was stunned. "I thought you didn't like me."

"I've never said that!" Tomoyo retorted.

Eriol stood and watched Tomoyo's face, making a silent assessment. He took a few steps towards her, brushed his fingers against her bare shoulder and trailed down until it reached her hand.

Tomoyo took a step backwards, pulled her hand off his and stroked her arm to produce some heat to her body. She looked up and her eyes met with Eriol's. "Is this how you're going to coax me to fall for you?" she said as she narrowed her eyes a bit.

Eriol chuckled. "Alright then," he paused and took a deep breath. "Daidouji Tomoyo, would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?"

Tomoyo laughed at his expression. Well, it wasn't funny or anything, but she thought that she needed to laugh to control her nervous. "Okay," she said and nodded.

**xxx**

Yelan stared at the young couple before her. She decided to have a chat with them after dinner. She sighed and massaged her temple softly. "Four dates within two weeks?" Her eyes widened as she turned to Syaoran.

Syaoran glanced at Sakura and turned back to his mother. He nodded. "Yes."

"What are you two doing?" She frowned. "Shall I talk to the Kinomoto family and suggest to them that the dating period should be extended to two months? Or perhaps I should suggest that you two shall be engaged right away."

"Mother," Fanren said. She decided to join her mother while the other sisters were lounging around the TV with their families. "Give them a chance. Don't forget that Sakura had an accident last week."

"Fair enough." Yelan took a deep breath and turned to her son. "You two need to spend more time to get to know each other."

"Okay," Sakura said softly.

Yelan turned to Fanren. "What do youngsters these days do on their dates?"

Fanren shrugged. "Movies?"

"Done that," Syaoran said with a sigh.

"Movies?" Yelan repeated with a frown on her head, totally ignoring her son comment. "How do you get to know each other without a proper conversation? How does staring at a screen help you to get to know each other?"

Fanren raised an eyebrow. "Well, what did you do on dates during your time?"

"I didn't date," Yelan said. "My marriage was arranged by my parents."

"Well, yeah." Fanren nodded. "But, what did you do to get to know father?"

"We spend lots of quality time together," Yelan said and paused. "Fanren, stop prying."

Fanren rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Then, she turned her attention back to her little brother and his girlfriend. The couple seemed uncomfortable. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was late.

"Like I said, you two need to spend more time together," Yelan continued her speech to the young couple. "Isn't there any way you could meet each other every day?"

"Mother," Syaoran sighed. "We have work every day. It's impossible for us to meet each other_ every single day_."

Yelan frowned, and turned to Sakura. "What about lunch?"

Sakura shrugged. "I can do lunch," she said and glanced at Syaoran. "I'm usually busy during the morning, because that's when I usually prepare my cupcakes. Of course, not if I have any big volume order from customers."

"Perfect!" Yelan beamed.

**xxx**

"I'm sorry that you had to deal with my mother's ridiculous wishes," Syaoran said as he pulled his car in front of Sakura's house. "And my sisters too. I'm sure they've been giving you lots of trouble."

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. In fact, I enjoyed their company," she said.

"I'm sorry that you had to agree to meet me every day," Syaoran said. His eyes were firm. But, Sakura wasn't sure if he was angry or he was just concerned for her.

"That's okay." Sakura laughed. "It's the least we could do to please her. After all, we've been deceiving our parents about this dating thing," she said and her smile faded away.

Syaoran frowned.

"Do you think what we're doing is right?" Sakura said as she studied her shoes. "Deceiving them, I mean."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You want to change our plan and pull out from the agreement?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. It's just that, I don't feel comfortable with all this."

"Neither do I," Syaoran said and turned to study her face. "Sakura," he called.

Sakura swore that her heart was pounding when she heard him calling out her name. In fact, this was the first time that he called her that. All this time, he had been calling her 'Oi', 'hey', 'you', and occasionally, 'cupcake'.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Syaoran shook his head and blinked. "I forgot what I was supposed to tell you."

"All right." Sakura nodded and stepped out from his car. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

**xxx**

Syaoran tossed his key on the table and walked towards the sofa. He closed his eyes and remembered the conversation between him and Sakura. He groaned when he remembered how he was about to suggest to her that they should try and date each other for real.

He wondered what had gotten into him. Perhaps, it was because the moment seemed so right for him to say it. It's not like he had any romantic feelings for her. However, he was sure that something had changed within him – he doesn't dislike her like he first did. There was something about her that changed his opinion about her. He wasn't sure what it was though.

"Something's off, Syaoran,"

"Oh my god!" Syaoran yelped. His eyes widened. He was a bit surprised to see his cousin; Meiling was sitting next to him, with her arms crossing on her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't get it," Meiling said, ignoring his question. She turned to him and frowned. "Why are you dating her? I mean, I know that your mother wants you to date her, but I didn't expect you to be so. . . obedient," she paused and squinted. "What exactly are you planning?"

Syaoran leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "I'm not planning anything."

"Really?" Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't tell me that you're dating her because you're interested in her."

Syaoran shrugged and smirked. "Well, what if that's the case?"

Meiling snickered. "I don't believe you."

Syaoran chuckled. "Yes, I started going out with her because mother forced me to, and vice-versa. But, she's not that bad," Syaoran said. "At least she's not after my family's wealth."

Meiling squinted.

"So, yes, now I'm dating her because my mom wants me to and I'm slightly interested in her," Syaoran blinked his eyes as he realized he had come to that conclusion. He never thought that he would say that. But, he was interested in her.

**- End of Chapter 10: I've never said that!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> How'd you like this chapter? Please review ^^


	11. You look really cute!

**Author's Note:** I don't have any witty comment at the moment. So, I'll let you read the story ^^ Please review! Every single review means a lot to me.

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 11: You look really cute!**

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><p>It was a really awkward ambiance between the couple. Daidouji Tomoyo was stirring her drink in circular motion and her eyes were darted towards the cutlers on the table. Her companion, Hiiragizawa Eriol was scanning through people who went in and out the restaurant, while peeking at the woman across him once in a while.<p>

"So," Eriol said as he pushed his glasses back with his forefinger. "This is really awkward."

Tomoyo looked up from the cutlers and nodded. She didn't even bother to make any eye contact. "It's weird how we can't seem to have a conversation naturally," she pointed out. "I never knew that a date could be this uncomfortable."

Eriol looked up as he heard Tomoyo's statement. "Do you want to go home then?" he asked and cleared his throat. "We can always do this next time."

"I didn't mean it like that," Tomoyo said as she shook her head vigorously.

Eriol nodded and smiled. He understood what she meant. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with him. It was just that the awkward silence was making her uncomfortable. "What do people do on dates?" he asked, trying to break up the silence.

Tomoyo shrugged. "I don't know. I've never dated before," she confessed. "Don't they usually spend their time talking and getting to know each other?"

"That's true," Eriol agreed. "Except that we know each other quite well."

Tomoyo looked up to Eriol. "Tell me." She paused and pursed her lips. "Have you ever dated before?"

Eriol stiffened. Then he slowly nodded. "I have a few times when I was in school. But I haven't dated anyone since I met you," he said and smiled. "I guess, I was smitten with you."

Tomoyo blushed. She sipped some of her drink to get rid of her anxiety. "You guess?"

Eriol chuckled. "I'm sure I was smitten the moment I saw you."

"Oh, alright." Tomoyo smiled sheepishly. "What do you do then?"

"What?"

"On a date," Tomoyo paused and cleared her throat. "What did you usually do?"

"Oh," Eriol said, adjusting his glasses. "Movies, theme parks, and things like that—normal places couples go." He sipped some of his drink as he watched people walk into the restaurant. Then, he took off his glasses and wiped it clean with a handkerchief before he put it on. He turned to a couple who stood at the entrance with the waitress and raised an eyebrow.

"Eriol?" Tomoyo said. "What's wrong?"

Eriol turned to Tomoyo and shook his head. "I thought I saw Sakura at the entrance," he told her.

Tomoyo turned her head to the entrance and squinted. "Eriol," she gasped. Her eyes widened as she unconsciously covered her face with her palm. "Quick! Hide! She might see us!"

"Why should we hide? It's not like Sakura doesn't know about our relationship," he said. His eyebrow rose.

"I'm sorry." Tomoyo laughed nervously. "I thought that we were on stakeout, shadowing her and her pretend boyfriend. I got nervous when I saw her."

Eriol laughed quietly. "Now that you bring it up," he said as he turned his head to the couple; they were discussing something over the menu. "I thought that those two were going to pretend to date. But, it seems to me like they're having a real date."

"She told me that she's going out with him as a friend," Tomoyo said with a sigh. She stirred her drink and glanced at her cousin and noticed that Sakura was laughing at something Syaoran said. "I worry that she might develop feelings after spending too much time with him."

Eriol smiled. "You're worried that she has to pay him that million?"

Tomoyo smiled wanly. "It's not that. I'm just worried that she may get hurt from this dating thing. What if she falls for him and he doesn't have the same feelings towards her? She's going to be miserable."

Eriol nodded. He understood what Tomoyo was worrying about.

**xxx**

"You're going out with Eriol?" Sakura said excitedly. Her face was beaming. She seemed really excited. "I thought you're going to avoid him forever! What made you change your mind?"

"I don't know," Tomoyo said sheepishly.

Sakura widened her eyes. "Oh, come on! You _have_ to tell me!"

Tomoyo giggled. "Well, I presume after a few days of avoiding him, I figured that it was lonely not having him by my side," she confessed. "I guess I was so used to having him around me."

"Do you love him?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo nodded as her face turned red.

Sakura stood straight and stared at her cousin. "I'm so happy for you!" she said as she pulled Tomoyo into a hug. "You're so lucky. I wish I could have someone who loves me like that and I would love him just the same." She pulled away after a while and noticed that Eriol was standing a few meters across her. His eyebrow raised in amusement.

"What are you two celebrating?" Eriol asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Sakura said, waving her hand. "We were just celebrating on..."

"I was nominated for the Rising Designer Award." Tomoyo said before Sakura could finish her sentences. Then, she turned to her cousin and nodded. "Yes, I was nominated."

"Really?" Eriol said. He took a few steps towards the girls and stared at Tomoyo for a while. "You didn't mention that to me during lunch," he said and smiled. "Congratulation!" he said as he pulled Tomoyo into his embrace.

Sakura cleared her throat, causing the couple to pull away. "We should be celebrating this!"

"I got a call from them half an hour ago," Tomoyo said, ignoring Sakura. "But, don't get too excited. It's not like I won anything yet. It's still too early to celebrate anything."

"Your designs were great! You'll win for sure!" Sakura said excitedly and turned to Eriol. "Right, Eriol?"

Eriol nodded and smiled.

"Sakura," Akari called, causing the trio to switch their attention to her. "Your brother's on the line."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the mention of her brother. She marched towards Akari, grabbed the phone, and thanked her. "Cupcakelicious, Kinomoto Sakura speaking."

"I've been trying to reach your cell phone for a while now," Touya said from the other line. "But, you weren't picking it up."

"I'm sorry," Sakura said. She slipped her hand in her pocket and noticed that her cell phone wasn't with her. "I didn't notice but I think I must have left my phone in the locker."

"Never mind that," Touya said with a sigh. "I'm coming home tonight. Think you can pick me and Yukito up from the airport?"

"You're coming home?" Sakura said excitedly. "Of course I can pick you up," she said and nodded. She took the pen and paper across from her and jotted something down. "Alright. I'll see you tonight," she said before she hung up the phone.

"Touya's coming home?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes," Sakura beamed. She stared at her cousin for a while and bit her lip. "It looks like I can't join you and celebrate."

Tomoyo chuckled. "Forget that. Do you want me to come with you?"

Sakura shook her head to decline. "No," she said and smiled. "You should go out with Eriol tonight and celebrate! Have a romantic dinner or something. I'll manage on my own."

Tomoyo nodded and laughed. "Alright then."

Sakura marched into her office and inspected her worktable. She placed her hand on her hips, closed her eyes and stood there for a second to think. Then, she went to her locker and rummaged through her bag.

"What are you looking for?" Tomoyo asked.

"My cell phone," Sakura told her. "Have you seen it?"

"No." Tomoyo shook her head. She followed Sakura and skimmed around the room to search for her cell phone. "You should probably call your cell phone. Someone might hear it ring and pick it up."

"You're right," Sakura said. She picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone number. After a few tries, she hung up the phone in frustration and sighed. "No one pick it up."

"Did it ring?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura nodded.

"Then that means your phone wasn't turned off. There's a thick chance that it wasn't stolen or anything. Why don't you try and retrace your steps?" Tomoyo suggested. "Is it possible that you left it in the restaurant during lunch?"

"No, I'm very positive that I didn't leave it there," Sakura closed her eyes to remember the last time she saw her cell phone and bit her lower lip. "I remember texting my mom in his car."

"Then, maybe you left it in Li's car?" Tomoyo guessed. "Why don't you give him a call and ask him if he's seen your phone?"

"Good idea!" Sakura exclaimed. She stared at her cousin, and sighed.

"What?" Tomoyo said.

"It's not possible, Tomoyo," Sakura said. "I don't remember his number."

**xxx**

Li Syaoran was in his scrubs with a patient's record in his hand. He browsed through the document and jotted something on the paper before passing them to one of the nurses in the recovery reception.

"Thank you," the nurse said, beaming.

Syaoran fished into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone. He stared at the caller ID and chuckled. He waved the nurse goodbye and walked out from the room. "Yes?" he said to the line.

"Hi," Sakura said. She finally called him after she got his number from her mother. She was a bit nervous. She wasn't sure how to break the news to him. "I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Well, my cell phone is missing." Sakura said.

"You and your cell phone issues," Syaoran commented as he shook his head. "I told you that you needed to pay more attention to your cell phone."

"I didn't do it in purpose, you know," Sakura paused and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience to you," she said carefully. "But could you check if I left it in your car?"

"Alright," Syaoran said and sighed. "I'll call you back later."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. "Thank you."

**xxx**

Syaoran sighed as he pulled his car in front of 'Cupcakelicious' bakery. He turned off the ignition and stepped out of his car. He looked up and noticed that Sakura was waiting for him at the entrance. She smiled and marched towards him.

Syaoran stiffen a smile. "Are you excited to get you phone back, or are you just excited to see me?"

"You're joking right?" Sakura said and chuckled. "Of course I'm excited to get my phone back." Sakura extended her arm, expecting Syaoran to hand her cell phone back. "You have it with you, right?"

Syaoran slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out her cell phone. "Of course I have it with me," he said frowning.

"Thank God!" Sakura said, as she reached for her cell phone.

"Just one question," Syaoran said as he playfully pulled the object of her desire away.

"What?" Sakura said impatiently. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Syaoran clicked his tongue. "Why didn't you put on that strap I gave you?" he asked.

"Oh." Sakura laughed. "I thought it would be a waste to use it."

"Waste?"

"Well," Sakura paused as she was trying to compose her sentences. "I thought that the strap was just too cute. I was afraid that I would lose it or something like that," she explained. "So, I kept it in my room."

"Cupcake," Syaoran said and shook his head in disbelief. "When someone gives you something, they expect you to use it." He paused and stared at her. "They don't, however, expect you to keep it in your room as a decoration," he said and handed Sakura her cell phone.

"Alright. I got it," Sakura replied indignantly as she retrieved her cell phone. "I'll put it on as soon as I get home." Sakura scanned through her phone and noticed that she had two messages and five missed calls. All were from Touya. Sakura glanced at her wristwatch and noticed that she would be late picking up her brother. "I need to go now," she said to Syaoran. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Syaoran nodded. "You're going home?"

"No," Sakura said with a smile. "I need to pick up my brother from the airport."

"Well," Syaoran said and hesitated. "I could give you a ride," he suggested. Then, he cursed himself quietly for offering to give her a lift. He was after all, tired from work. But why he offered to go with her and pick up her brother was a mystery to him. He just felt like he wanted to spend more time with her.

"What?" Sakura said while raising an eyebrow. "No, that's alright. I don't want to bother you. I bet you already have plans."

"I'm off from work, and I don't have any plans. I could go with you," Syaoran offered. He stared at Sakura and waited for her answer. "It wouldn't be safe to go alone," he said. "Besides, you've met my family. I should meet yours too."

Sakura bit her lower lip. "Alright," she finally succumbed.

**xxx**

"My brother is a writer for traveling magazines so he gets to travel a lot," Sakura explained as they were waiting for him somewhere in the arrival hall.

"How does your brother look like?" Syaoran asked.

"He has tanned skin and dark brown hair and eyes," Sakura described. She craned her neck, looking for a sight of her brother. "He's very tall. We should be able to notice him right away when he walks out from the arrival hall."

Syaoran nodded as he joined Sakura to search for her brother.

"Oh! There he is," Sakura said, pointing towards a tall man with dark brown eyes. She pulled Syaoran's hand, and marched towards her brother. "You're back!" Sakura exclaimed as she pulled her brother into a hug. "How was your flight?"

"Fine," Touya replied halfheartedly. He looked up at the sight of a man behind his sister. "Who's this?"

"Oh," Sakura said as she turned around. "This is Li Syaoran. He's my..."

"That brat," Touya said, cutting her off. He glanced at Syaoran from head to toe and raised an eyebrow.

"What did he just call me?" Syaoran scowled.

"Just ignore him," Sakura whispered to Syaoran. "My brother is like that with everyone."

"What is he doing here?" Touya asked.

"Syaoran gave me a lift and came with me to pick you up," Sakura explained. "So be nice, Touya," she warned her brother and sucked in some air. "Where's Yukito? I thought he'd with you."

"He should be out any minute." Touya replied.

"Yukito!" Sakura exclaimed as she saw Yukito walk out from the arrival hall. He had a luggage in one hand, and a bar of chocolate in the other. Sakura marched towards him and gave him a hug.

"Hey, Sakura," Yukito said. He dropped his luggage and patted her head. "I brought you some chocolate too."

**xxx**

Touya watched Syaoran as he pulled out the last luggage from the trunk before he took it from him. He handed the luggage to Yukito and shoved him inside. "Thank you," Touya said to Syaoran.

"You're welcome," Syaoran replied and nodded.

Touya turned to his sister and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going in?"

"You should go in first. I'm sure mom and dad are going to be excited to see you. They were really happy when I told them that you were coming back," Sakura said with a smile. "I'll go in after you."

Touya groaned and nodded. Then, he took another glance at Syaoran before he unwillingly walked into the house. He wasn't sure why. But he had a bad feeling when he looked at his sister's boyfriend.

"Thank you," Sakura said to Syaoran as her brother disappeared.

"It's nothing." Syaoran shook his head. "Your brother seems like an interesting person."

Sakura laughed at his comment. "I'm sorry that he's been acting not so friendly. I guess he doesn't like you," Sakura said. "Well, he doesn't like the idea of this arrange marriage and dating thing. He was so against the idea."

Syaoran nodded.

Sakura stared at Syaoran's face, waiting for him to say something. She expected him to excuse himself or bid her goodbye or something. But instead, he stood there with hands in his pockets and stared blankly at his black polished shoes. "Well," she finally said to break the silence. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Syaoran stared at her for a brief moment. His face showed that he was stunned. "A walk?" He repeated. Then he smiled and shook his head to decline. "No, it's late. Your parents are going to get worried."

"Hold on a second," Sakura said before she disappeared into her house. After a couple minutes, she returned with a jacket on her hand. "I told my parents that I'm going for a walk."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You didn't have to do that."

"Oh, don't worry," Sakura said, waving her hands. "I need to go out and get something from the convenience store anyway," she paused and turned to Syaoran. "Let's make it like you're accompanying me to the convenience store."

Syaoran chuckled. "Alright," he nodded. "If you insist..."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his comment. Then, the duo walked into the night in silence, savoring the night air. Sakura stopped by the convenience store and bought some two cartons of milk, before they walked on their way home.

"Hey," Sakura said, peeking at Syaoran's face. "Are you alright?"

Syaoran nodded. "Don't I look alright?"

Sakura shrugged. "Well, you seem like you've got something on your mind," she commented. "Did something happened at work?'

Syaoran fell silent. It wasn't that he had anything that troubled him. It's just that he wanted to be around her a bit... longer. He wasn't sure why was he feeling this way. But, he couldn't say that out loud to her, could he? He thought about it carefully last night — why was he interested in her. But he hasn't got the answer. He thought that maybe if he could spend more time around her, he would find out the answer.

"You don't have to tell me if you didn't want to," she said and smiled. Then, Sakura felt his hand brushed lightly against her shoulder. She looked up to his face and glanced at his hand. Then, she looked up front and noticed that two drunkards were walking towards them. Syaoran pulled his hand away as the drunkards passed them.

Sakura looked at her sandals as to consult them, and buried her face to her jacket. She didn't know what how to react. Should she thank her for his gesture? "Oh," Sakura said as she sneaked her hand into her jacket and pulled out her cell phone. "Look!" she said, showing off the cupcake charm straps to him. "I put it on."

Syaoran laughed. It wasn't that there was anything funny. It was just that he was surprised at her action. How she had put on the straps because he told her to. Somehow, it made him happy.

"This is a rare sight," Sakura said as she aimed her cell phone to his face and clicked a button.

"What did you do?" Syaoran grimaced. "Did you snap a picture of me?"

Sakura hid her cell phone behind her and stuffed it in her pocket. "What if I did?"

Syaoran suck in some air and stared at her. "Then, you need to delete it."

"No," Sakura shook her head.

"Excuse me?"

"I won't do that," Sakura said. "This is one precious photo. I can't delete that."

"What?"

"How do I say this," Sakura said and bit her lower lip. "You look your best with a smile on your face," she said and smile "You look really cute!"

"Cute?" Syaoran said and chuckled. "You don't call a man cute," he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Cute is used to compliment girls, babies, kids or animals."

Sakura grinned. "Whatever it is, I'm not deleting this picture."

"Why?" Syaoran asked. His eyebrow arched. "So that you can look at my picture and idolize me?"

"No," Sakura rolled her eyes at his remark. "I'm keeping this so that I can blackmail you," Sakura said and smirked. "You never know when this picture will come in handy."

**xxx**

Sakura sat on her chair and smiled as she stared at her cell phone strap. She poked it a few times and lifted up her phone. She browsed through some files in her phone and clicked at Syaoran's laughing face.

She had fun spending time with him. She always thought that he was an arrogant kind of guy. Well, she did remember how he treated her the first time they met — it wasn't nice. But that was before she got to know him. After a while, she found that he's a very caring and attentive person. Conversing with him wasn't as hard as when they first started seeing each other.

Her heart fluttered a bit as she remembered how he had pulled her on her shoulder to avoid those drunkards earlier. She wondered how a small gesture like that could make her heart flutter. And what's the deal with all those butterflies in her stomach?

Then she remembered that conversation with her cousin/best friend, Tomoyo, a few days ago. Tomoyo said something about how even a small gesture could make you fall in love with someone. She's not in love with him, is she?

"Yes?" Sakura said and turned around as she heard someone knocked on her door. The door creaked open and she saw her brother standing there with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hand.

Touya handed one of the mugs to his sister and drank his hot chocolate in silence. "So," Touya paused and stared at his steaming mug. "You like him? That brat, I mean."

"Dad told me to treat him as a friend," she said and shrugged. "So, that's exactly what I'm doing. After spending some time with him, I found that he's not that bad, Touya," Sakura told him. "In fact, I enjoy spending time with him."

"You need to stop listening to dad sometimes." Touya said.

"Most brothers would advice their sister to listen to their parents," Sakura said and giggled. "What you do is quite the opposite, Touya."

"Right," Touya smiled. Then, he looked towards his sister. "But you're not answering my question, Sakura," he paused and took another sip from his mug. "I never asked whether he's a nice guy or whatever. Even though I strongly opposed the idea of this arrange marriage, I know that dad would never set you up with a lunatic."

Sakura laughed at her brother comment.

"I asked you if you like him," Touya said, repeating his question. "I mean, do you have any feelings for him?" he elaborated, trying to make his sister understand what he was talking about.

Sakura stared at his brother face for a while and sighed. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I've never thought about that before."

Touya nodded. "Then, you really need to start and put some serious thought into that."

**-End of Chapter 11: You look really cute!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This chapter was not as interesting as the previous chapter, I presume? I was having a hard time trying to figure out of a small gesture that would make Sakura's heart fluttered... (I was actually rolling around in the living room to figure it out. Then, my mom came in and she thought something's wrong with me **XD**) Do you have any moments like that? Please share with me ^^ And don't forget to review!


	12. I've gained a couple pounds!

**Author's Note:** There were countless times when I thought of shooting myself. And one of them is when my parents decided to read what I've wrote. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! I'm **seriously** **in love** with you guys! ^^

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 12: I've Gained a Couple Pounds!**

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><p>"Eriol," Tomoyo called as she marched towards him. She placed her hands on her hips and sighed as she watched him shove a couple of muffin tins into the oven. "You need to stop sending me cupcakes," she said when he twirled around to face her.<p>

Eriol was stunned. "Why?"

Tomoyo bit her lips. "It's bad!"

Eriol chuckled. "That can't be true," he said as he shook his head. He turned to his cupcakes and shoved in more muffin tins into the oven. "Those cupcakes were freshly baked every morning. It's impossible for those cupcakes to turn out bad. Unless, there was something wrong with the ingredients. If that's the case, we need to check all the ingredients."

Tomoyo turned to a few trays of fresh baked white chocolate cupcakes on the working table, waiting to be frosted. She shook her head and chuckled. "I'm not saying that there's something wrong with the cupcakes."

"What then?" Eriol raised an eyebrow towards her.

"Eriol," Tomoyo called with a sigh. "I've gained a couple pounds!"

Eriol chuckled. He closed the oven and turned to Tomoyo. "You know I don't mind if you gain a few pounds, Tomoyo," he said as he wiped his hand on his apron "I'll still love you."

"Thank you." Tomoyo nodded. "And I love you too. But the problem is—"

"Stop!" Sakura said, raising her voice a little bit. "Stop it right there!" she repeated. She turned to her friend and sighed. "Listen, I love the fact that you two are finally together." She paused for a couple seconds. "But I can't do this. The rest of us can't do this." She shook her head, pointing towards the rest of Cupcakelicious staff. "If you guys want to have this lovey-dovey couple conversation, then please, do that somewhere else before the rest of us end up throwing up."

The couple turned around and noticed the staff members looking at them with a smile plastered on their face. "I'm sorry," the couple said in unison before they turned to face each other.

"Now," Sakura said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Can we all get back to work?" she suggested and turned to her staff to make sure that they weren't slacking around. Then, she turned to a few cupcakes on her worktable. "Eriol, come here, I need you to sample this."

"What are you making?" Tomoyo asked as she joined her cousin.

"Chocolate cupcakes," Sakura replied briefly.

Tomoyo widened her eyes. "But, there's so many of them!" she pointed out. There were at least five types of chocolate cupcakes on the stainless steel worktable. Each of them had different frosting and decorations.

"Sakura's trying to come up with new recipes," Eriol explained.

"What's wrong with the old chocolate cupcakes recipe?" Tomoyo asked with a frown. "I think they're perfect just the way they are!"

"These recipes are low fat and low sugar chocolate cupcakes," Eriol told her. "I think it would be perfect for you," he said with a smile. "You know, if you wanted to enjoy the cupcakes without worrying about your weight. They're low calorie cupcakes."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Now," she said as she handed them a cake fork. "I need you to sample them and tell me, which one do you like the best?"

"What's in this one?" Tomoyo asked as she sampled the second cupcake.

"That one is a chocolate oatmeal cupcake. It's gluten free," Sakura explained. "How does it taste?"

"I like it. It's really moist." Tomoyo nodded. "The vanilla frosting is to die for! It wasn't sweet, but it melted in my mouth like vanilla ice cream," she commented. "That was probably the best vanilla frosting I've had so far."

Sakura laughed at her cousin comment. She took a clean cake fork on the table, and sampled the cupcakes.

"What with the sudden mood to experiment some new cupcakes recipes?" Tomoyo asked with a frown. "Don't tell me that you're making these due to _another_ customer's ridiculous request."

"No." Sakura shook her head. "I'm developing these new recipes for Li," she said. "He doesn't like sweet things, anyway."

**xxx**

"This is so not what I had in my mind, you know," Chiharu said. Her tone showed that she was disappointed. "When I said a double date, I never expected that we would have one in the hospital cafeteria, having lunch," she said, poking on her food with a fork. "For two days in a row."

Syaoran grimaced.

"Syaoran, you're the most not-so-romantic person I know. I mean, why would you have a date with your girlfriend in a hospital cafeteria?" Chiharu continued and shook her head disapprovingly before she turned to Sakura. "I pity you for having him as a boyfriend, Kinomoto."

"Shut up," Syaoran muttered.

"Please," Sakura said, smiling. "Call me Sakura."

"Well." Chiharu paused and smiled. "At least we're finally having this double date! And Takashi finally gets to meet your girlfriend," she commented. "But, I strongly suggest that we should go out some time."

"That's impossible," Takashi said. He took a cupcake from the box, and peeled off the cupcake liner.

"Why is that?" Chiharu asked.

Takashi shrugged. "The four of us have never had the same off day."

"That's true." Chiharu sighed disappointingly. She took the cupcake from Takashi and took a bite from it. "What's in this?" she asked with a frown. "It has a faint taste of honey," she added after another bite.

"You're absolutely right!" Sakura nodded. "There's a bit of honey in that one. It's called Castella Chocolate Cupcake," she explained with a smile. She leaned toward Chiharu and raised an eyebrow. "Do you like it?"

"Yes." Chiharu beamed. "It's really moist and fluffy."

"Right," Takashi said as he watched his cupcake being eaten by his girlfriend. He took another cupcake from the box and turned to Sakura. "Did you know that cupcakes are considered a pop trend in the culinary world?"

Chiharu raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to tell her a lie, are you?"

"I don't think that's a lie." Sakura shook her head. "What Yamazaki-san said about cupcakes is true. They are considered as a pop trend in culinary world. That's why there are so many cupcake bakeries out there."

"See." Takashi smiled smugly to Chiharu. Then, he turned to Sakura and smiled happily. "I think we're going to be great friends, Kinomoto-san," he said to Sakura. He stood up when his pager beeped.

"Sorry," Syaoran said apologetically. He had his pager in one hand and his drink in the other. "We've got to run, there's an emergency." He paused to finish off his drink. "I'll call you later, alright?"

Sakura nodded, turned to Chiharu and caught a glimpse of Takashi kissing her forehead.

**xxx**

"Hey," Eriol called. He cast a glance towards his girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. She was standing next to him absentmindedly. "Tomoyo," he called again, waving his hand in front of her to gain her attention.

"Yes?" Tomoyo said, snapping out from her thought.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His eyes showed that he was worried. "Are you sure?" he asked when Tomoyo nodded her head lightly and smiled. "Do you want to talk about it? You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

Tomoyo nodded and took in a deep breath. "I was just thinking," she said as she turned away from Eriol. She tapped her slender fingers against the papers before her before she continued. "About Sakura."

"Sakura?" Eriol repeated. "What about her? Is there something wrong with her?"

"Eriol," Tomoyo called and turned to him. "Touya called me a couple nights ago," she told him. "I couldn't believe what he told me at first. I mean, it's not possible. But I guess it all makes sense."

"What is?" Eriol asked as he adjusted his glasses. "Tomoyo, what are you talking about? What about Sakura? What did Touya tell you?"

"Eriol," Tomoyo bit her lip and hesitated. "Touya thinks that Sakura might be in love with her boyfriend."

"What?" Eriol finally said after a momentary silent. "Why would he think that?"

"It all makes sense, don't you think?" Tomoyo spoke. "I mean, why else would Sakura develop new chocolate cupcake recipes? She did mention that she was making them for Li," she said.

"Well." Eriol paused and shrugged. He was lost for words. It's not that he didn't care about Sakura's feeling or anything like that. He cared a lot about his employer, his friend's relationship and her feelings. But surely, this matter was not something that he should be interfering with.

Tomoyo drew a breath. "When Touya called me last night, he told me that Sakura was looking at his picture on her cell phone," Tomoyo said and sighed exasperatedly. "What should we do, Eriol?"

"Tomoyo," he called softly. He pulled her and positioned her so that they were facing each other. "Maybe we shouldn't interfere with this matter."

"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "But, Eriol, what if—"

"We can't stop her if she feels that way. We shouldn't try to change how she feels," Eriol said. "That is not the right thing to do. This is something that Sakura will have to deal with herself."

Tomoyo stared at Eriol for a few moments before she finally sighed. "Maybe you're right."

**xxx**

"Kinomoto seems like a really nice girl," Takashi said. "I remembered a few weeks ago, when you started dating her, you told us that it's impossible to get along with her," Takashi said with a smile. "But I think you two get along just fine."

Syaoran chuckled as he remembered the conversation that he had with Takashi and Chiharu a few weeks ago. Sure, a few weeks ago he never thought that he could get along with Sakura. They both agreed to pretend to date and part ways after a month. But what is it that brought them closer?

"You like her, don't you?"

Syaoran stiffened. It took him a few seconds before he could respond. "What?" he replied as he pulled off his latex glove. He looked up at Takashi and noticed that he was waiting for him to say something. "She's an interesting person." Syaoran shrugged.

"Interesting?" Takashi repeated and raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely not the word I'm looking for." He chuckled. "You know." He paused and patted Syaoran's back. "You should give her a call, ask her to go out for dinner or something," he suggested. "I bet she'd be delighted."

Syaoran watched Takashi walked away and shook his head. He walked towards the washing basin and washed his hands. Then, he fished his iPhone in his pocket and stared to the screen.

Would she be happy if he gave her a call?

**xxx**

Sakura stared at her computer screen and blinked her eyes; one hand was holding the mouse and the other rested on her chin. She frowned and sighed. No matter how she looked at the figures, she couldn't understand them.

"You miscalculated the account under City Bakers," Eriol told her as he squinted towards the computer.

"Really?" Sakura frowned and turned to her computer screen. She scanned the screen and looked for the mentioned account. "Oh, so that's why my account isn't balanced!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Eriol!"

"You're welcome," Eriol said and nodded.

"So," Sakura said as she picked up a calculator on her desk, and turned to the numbers on her computer screen. "Where are you taking Tomoyo for a date tomorrow?"

Eriol chuckled. "I can't tell you. It's a secret."

Sakura frowned and turned to Eriol. "You're not going to tell me?" she asked. Then, she focused back to her calculator and noticed that she had keyed in the wrong numbers. She pressed the 'C' button and cursed.

"Nope!" Eriol replied, snatching the calculator from Sakura.

"Fine," Sakura said with a sigh. "Have fun, then."

"I will," Eriol replied and chuckled. He glanced towards the computer and keyed in the right numbers before he returned the calculator to Sakura. "It's a good thing that we can arrange a surprise party for Tomoyo during this two days vacation."

Sakura smiled as she saw the figure. "Yeap!" she replied before she turned to her computer and keyed in the right number under City Bakers account.

"Are you sure this plan is going to work?"

"Of course." Sakura nodded. "All you have to do is to keep her away from here. I've spoken to her mother and she insisted that we should hold the party in her residence," Sakura explained. "My mother said that she would handle with all decorations and I'll bake the cake for her."

"That sounds like an easy plan," Eriol deadpanned.

"It is!" Sakura exclaimed. Then, she turned to her phone when it started to ring GUMI's Catch You Catch Me chorus. She stared at the screen for a bit and smiled before she pressed the green button. "Yes?"

"Hi," Syaoran said.

"Hi!" She replied. She cast a glance towards Eriol and saw him walk out from her office. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?" she asked after a minute of complete silence.

"Well." Syaoran paused and cleared his throat. "I was wondering." He stopped again and took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me this evening. After work, I mean. "

"Why?"

"No particular reason," he told her. "Look, I understand if you don't wan—"

"Okay," Sakura cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "Okay, I'll go out with you this evening," Sakura repeated when Syaoran didn't say anything from the other line.

"Great!" Syaoran said. "I'll pick you up after work."

**xxx**

Syaoran stared on his iPhone screen and pressed the call button. He placed his phone to his ear and was greeted by the operator, telling him that the receiver had turned off the phone.

He raised an eyebrow and stared at his phone. He couldn't help but wonder if she was mad at him. After all, he had stood her up again. It's not that that he did it on purpose though. He was about to enter the locker room and change his clothes when Doctor Hotaru pulled him away and told him that he was needed for an emergency operation.

Syaoran sighed in frustration, slid into his car and turned on the ignition. He drove to Sakura's bakery and pushed the glass doors only to find that they were locked. He peered against the door and noticed that there were a few of her staff members inside. He rapped his knuckles against the door and caught their attention.

Tomoyo looked up from her sketch book and squinted. She turned her head towards the kitchen and saw Eriol and a few other staff members mopping the floor. She walked towards the entrance and unlocked the door. "Look," she said, pointing towards the signboard hanging on the door. "We're closed."

"Is Sakura here?" Syaoran asked, ignoring her statement.

"No." Tomoyo shook her head. She took a step back and glanced at the man before her. It took her a few second to notice that he was Li Syaoran, Sakura's pretend boyfriend. "She went out a few hours ago," Tomoyo told him. "She told me that she was going to the hospital to meet you. Didn't you meet up with her?"

"Well, No." Syaoran cleared his throat. "I was supposed to pick her up," he told her. "But, there was an emergency at the hospital. I've been trying to call her, but she turned off her phone."

"She probably went back home," Tomoyo said as she pulled the door and invited Syaoran in. "Come in, I'll check with her mother to confirm. Why don't you have a seat first?"

Syaoran nodded and sat on and empty chair anxiously. He turned to Tomoyo and saw her hang up the phone. "Well?"

"She's home," Tomoyo told him. "But Aunt Nadeshiko told me that she went out with Yukito for a while."

"Oh." Syaoran mouthed and stood up. "Thank you, uh. . ."

"Daidouji Tomoyo,"

Syaoran nodded. "Thank you Daidouji-san," he said. "But, I've got to go now."

"Wait!" Tomoyo called.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and turned to her. "Yes?"

Tomoyo bit her lip and hesitated for a little bit. "What do you think of those cupcakes Sakura baked this morning?"

Syaoran stood there looking a bit astonished. For a second, he wondered if everyone around Sakura would always say something random. Well, last week Sakura had randomly asked him if he wanted a hug. Then, she randomly took him to play laser tag. Then, she randomly...

"Well?" Tomoyo raised an eyebrow.

Syaoran shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't taste any of them. I don't really favor sweet treats."

**xxx**

"Thank you for treating me, Yukito," Sakura said as they walked home together. She turned her attention to her Popsicle and took the last bite.

"No." Yukito shook his head. "I should be thanking you for accompanying me, Sakura."

"We haven't done this for a long time, have we?" Sakura said with a smile. "You used to treat me to ice cream all the time." She paused and chuckled. "Of course, Touya had to join us too."

Yukito smiled. "You were really small back then," he commented. "I used to pat your head all the time. I stopped when you grew taller. And those heels make you almost taller as me."

Sakura laughed. "I'm still tall without these heels, you know."

Yukito stopped when they almost reached the house. He turned to Sakura and smiled at her. "Your boyfriend seems like a really nice person," he commented.

"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at the sudden mention of her boyfriend.

Sakura looked up and spotted Syaoran leaning against the wall, waiting for her when Yukito signaled her towards the house. She raised an eyebrow and took a few steps towards him. "Hi," she said when approached him. "What are you doing here?"

"I—" Syaoran paused to suck in some air. "I was waiting for you."

"Oh."

"Well then," Yukito said. He turned to Syaoran and smiled. "I guess, I'll leave you two to talk."

"I'm sorry I stood you up this evening," Syaoran said as Yukito disappeared into the house. "Something came up — an emergency."

Sakura nodded. "I know..."

"You know?"

Sakura giggled when she saw the shocked look on Syaoran's face. "I went to the hospital when you didn't turn up," she told him. "Then, I met with Chiharu. She told me that you had an emergency."

"Oh," Syaoran said. "I tried to call your cell phone, but it was turned off."

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized. "My cell phone ran out of battery," she said and smiled.

Syaoran smirked. "I told you to be alert with your phone, didn't I?"

"I know, I know," Sakura said, waving her hand. "I knew you're going to say something like that." She giggled. "So," Sakura said after a moment of silence. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

Syaoran turned to her and frowned. "What?"

"Well, you sounded a bit tensed when you called. I just assumed you had something you wanted to tell me," Sakura said, tossing her hair behind her ear. "So, what is it?"

"I—" He shook his head. "I just wanted to see you."

Sakura was astounded. "You just wanted to see me?" she echoed. "Why?"

Syaoran shrugged. "I haven't figured that out."

"What? You haven't figured out why you wanted to see me?" Sakura nudged him with her elbow and laughed. "You're funny."

"Listen." Syaoran paused and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that I haven't taken a bite off your cupcakes. After all, you tried out some new recipes for me."

"H-how did you know that?" Sakura gasped, placing a hand over her mouth.

"So, it's true then?" Syaoran said. "Your cousin mentioned that to me when I stopped by your bakery this evening," Syaoran told her when Sakura didn't respond his earlier question. He turned to her and their gaze met. "Thank you."

Sakura turned away and rubbed her hand against her neck. "Well, this is embarrassing," she muttered, making a mental note to smack her cousin on the head the next time she saw her.

"Why did you do that?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura laughed nervously. "I just thought that I should make you something that you could enjoy," she told him. "Well, with you being health conscious and all that."

"Oh," Syaoran said and chuckled. "That was not the answer I was expecting."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at his remark. "How did you expect me to answer you, then?"

Syaoran clenched his jaw and turned away. He took a glance towards his wristwatch and smiled. "I should get going."

**xxx**

Syaoran was smiling when he walked into his house. He wondered what had gotten into him recently. He wondered why his mind would always trailed back to Sakura when she wasn't around. He wondered why he always had the urge to meet her and see her face.

"Syaoran?" A voice finally broke him out from his thought. Syaoran looked up and saw his cousin, Meiling, staring at him.

"I need to talk to you," Meiling said.

"Okay," Syaoran nodded and led her to his room. He slumped on his bed and watched his cousin who was standing at his door with her hands crossed on her chest. "What is it?"

Meiling closed the door behind her and pulled out a folded paper from her pocket. "I found this in your room today."

Syaoran glanced at the familiar paper — the agreement that he had with Sakura to date each other for a month. He stood up abruptly to snatch it away from Meiling. "Did you snoop around in my room?" he said, raising his voice a little.

"You might want to keep your voice down, or everyone else is going to wonder what happened," Meiling suggested. "And I didn't snoop around your room. I found it by accident."

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Meiling snapped. "Sheifa wanted me to get some papers from your room for Aiko," she explained. "Look." Meiling sighed. "You're lucky that it was me who found the agreement. Just imagine if it was Sheifa or your mother who found it."

Syaoran frowned. "You're not going to tell them about this agreement, are you?"

"No," Meiling said softly and shook her head.

"Thank you," Syaoran nodded.

"Syaoran," Meiling said softly. "Why are you doing this? Why did you go this far to lie to your family? Why would you..." She paused and turned to her cousin and frowned "So, the whole 'I'm interested in her' was bullshit then?"

Syaoran clenched his jaw. "No. It's wasn't," he answered. "Look," he said when Meiling didn't utter anything. Instead, she was staring at him, waiting for further explanation. "I told you, didn't I? I started to go out with her because mother forced me to. So I proposed this agreement to her and hoped that this whole dating thing would be over within a month, we would go our separate ways, and my mother would stop bothering me about this whole thing."

"But?" Meiling raised an eyebrow.

"But." Syaoran paused. "Meiling, it all changed. After I spent time with her, it all changed, alright?"

"What changed?"

"Well." Syaoran paused and licked his lips. "I guess, I couldn't stop thinking about her, and I found myself wanting to see her and be around her, and..." He sighed exasperatedly.

"Syaoran," Meiling called. Her gaze softened. She had never seen her cousin act like this before, or talk about anyone that way he did now. "Did you fall for her?"

Syaoran turned to his cousin and raised an eyebrow. Then he turned away. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Yes?" He blinked. "I guess..."

"It's love then!" Meiling exclaimed. "Syaoran!" she gasped and took a few steps towards him. "You have to tell her!"

"What?" Syaoran said. He looked at Meiling as if she just spoke a foreign language to him.

"You have to tell her!" she repeated. "Syaoran," Meiling called when he didn't respond. "You do realize that your agreement is going to end within ten days, don't you?"

**- End of Chapter 12: I've Gained a Couple Pounds!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, Meiling found out about the agreement. What will happen next? Anyway, this chapter was not written as what I plan to. Well, a lot of part in this story was not written the way I plan. But, I'm glad that I managed to write this far and update this story frequently. Although there were countless time that I was distracted and decided to watch another episode of Doctor Who. **XD** That was a bit random... Don't forget to shower me with love and reviews!


	13. Idiot!

**Author's Note:** For no particular reason, I can't seem to stop myself from laughing while I constructed this chapter. Perhaps I've gone insane? And for some odd reason, my stomach always growled when I wrote this fiction.

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 13: Idiot!**

* * *

><p>Kinomoto Fujitaka cast a glance towards his wife as she sat on the soft mattress and pulled her hair band from her hair. He put his book on the night table beside him and rested his head on her thigh once she was settled into bed.<p>

Nadeshiko giggled. She lifted her slender hand and caressed her husband's hair softly. Her pink lips curved into a smile. She tucked her long hair behind her ear and kissed her husband lightly on the forehead. "The kids are getting along just fine, don't you think?"

Fujitaka smiled and took off his glasses. "Aren't you glad? And Syaoran has come over almost every night to see our daughter. Maybe they're starting to like each other?" he suggested.

"Perhaps." Nadeshiko paused and licked her lips. "I guess I was too worried about the kids."

"Perhaps..." he agreed.

**xxx**

"Syaoran!" Sheifa called. She rammed her knuckles on his door and sighed exasperatedly when her little brother didn't answer. "Syaoran!" she tried again. "Get up you lazy bum! Just wake up and open this door, will you? This is important!"

Syaoran pressed his face against the pillow before he stood up and marched towards the door. "What?" he snapped. "Can't you let me get some sleep?"

"It's ten in the morning," Sheifa said, pointing towards the clock. She took a step back and stared at Syaoran for a couple beats. "Are you alright?"

Syaoran went back to his bed and closed his eyes as he slammed his body on the mattress. "I'm alright. I'm just sleepy, that's all," he mumbled. He was tired. Last night, he spent most of his time listening to Meiling chattering about how he should tell Sakura his feelings and he continued to argue by telling her how he felt would cause a termination of their agreement.

"Never mind, then."

Syaoran turned to his sister and grimaced. "You woke me up for nothing?"

"I'm going out," Sheifa announced. She marched towards the door and crossed her arms. "I wanted you to look after my daughter for a while." She paused and turned around. "But I see that you need some sleep."

"Sheifa," Syaoran called with a sigh. "If you want me to look after your Aiko, you can leave her with me."

"No." She shook her head. "I'll have someone else look after her," Sheifa said. Her hand held the door. "You need to rest," she said before shutting the door gently.

Syaoran stared at the door and scowled. "Whatever," he muttered before he drifted back to sleep.

**xxx**

Kinomoto Sakura scooped some vanilla butter-cream and dumped it on the vanilla sponge cake. She spread the icing across the cake with a metal spatula and pushed it towards the edge. She placed the spatula into the bowl before reaching for her phone when it rang. "Yes, Eriol?" she said as she identified him from the caller ID. "What can I do for you?" she asked, clipping her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder.

"Just checking," Eriol said. "Is everything alright?"

"Mm hmm," Sakura replied. She took the offset spatula and continued frosting her cake, smoothing the butter-cream on the top. "That should be my line, Eriol. How is it going with your date?"

"Everything's fine. Don't worry," Eriol said and chuckled. "How's the cake? Think you can manage on your own?"

"Oh, don't worry." Sakura giggled. She scooped more butter-cream to spread on the cake. "I can manage this. I'm a professional, remember? You should take a break once and a while and enjoy your date with my cousin. Make sure Tomoyo has the time of her life."

"The time of her life..." Eriol repeated. "You make it sounds so easy," he muttered.

"It is easy!" Sakura convinced. She sighed and continued. "Just enjoy yourself and be there this evening. And don't be late," she warned. She placed her spatula in the bowl and checked her cell phone when she heard a beep. "Listen, I've got to go. I've got an incoming call."

"Alright, I'll see you this evening then?" Eriol said before he got disconnected.

Sakura turned to her cell phone and pressed the green button. "Yes?"

"Hey, Sakura! It's Sheifa," she said from the other line. "Are you still in your bakery?"

Sakura blinked. She was a bit surprised with Sheifa's phone call. After all, she always got a bad premonition every time Sheifa showed up or called her. "Yes," she answered after a moment of hesitation. "I'm still in my bakery."

"Great!" Sheifa exclaimed. "I'll be there in two minutes."

"Wait!" Sakura said. She turned to her phone and noticed that it was disconnected. "Oh shit," she cursed. She took off her apron, marched towards the entrance and unlocked the door. She looked around and scanned for any sign of Sheifa. Sheifa showed up exactly two minutes later with her daughter, Aiko, cradled in her arms.

"Hey!" Sheifa said. She let her daughter down, and peeked inside the bakery. Then, she turned to Sakura and frowned. "Did you get robbed or something?" she asked. "The bakery is awfully quiet. There's nobody there. Did something happen?"

She laughed at her comment. "We're not robbed or anything. We're closed today," Sakura told her. "We were going to have the kitchen cleaned up a bit," she explained. "What are you doing here?"

"Sakura," Sheifa said. Her lips curved into a smile. "I'm glad you asked. I need your help."

Sakura started to feel a little bit uneasy. "What kind of help?"

"Could you look after Aiko for a little bit?" Sheifa asked. She lifted her daughter once again and handed her to Sakura.

"Well." Sakura paused as she took Aiko in her arms. "I don't mind looking after her for a bit. But where are you going?"

Sheifa giggled. "I have a date with my husband!" she said cheerily. "I hate to interrupt you. But I didn't have a choice. Everyone else said that they got work to do and my mother is away," she smiled. "So, I'm a bit relieved that you're closed. At least you're not busy or anything."

"Well, yes." Sakura laughed nervously. "But I got—"

"I should be back after an hour." Sheifa cut her off. "But if I don't show up, you should call Syaoran and asked him to pick her up, okay?" Sheifa bent down and kissed her daughter lightly on the cheek. "Take care, little girl! Have fun!" She looked up and smiled at Sakura. "Thanks a lot, Sakura."

Sakura blinked. She had a hard time trying to figure out what just happened—it all happened too fast! But before she could finally comprehend everything, Sheifa was already gone, leaving her daughter and a bag of Aiko's necessities with her.

Sakura carried Aiko into her bakery and locked the door behind her. She took the little child into her office and sat her down on her chair. She squatted and looked at the small girl. "Now," she said, touching the little girl's cheek. "What should I do with you?"

**xxx**

Syaoran opened his eyes lazily. His sleep was once again disturbed. First, it was Sheifa, this time it was his phone. He reached for his iPhone on his side table and pressed it to his ear. "Hello," he said, gently rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Oh, Hi!" the person on the other line said.

Syaoran frowned. He thought the voice sounded too familiar.

"It's me, Sakura," she introduced herself after a momentary silence.

"Sakura?" Syaoran repeated. His eyes widened. He stood up abruptly and groaned in pain when his knee suddenly bumped against his bed frame. He sat down on the mattress and massaged his knee softly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." He paused and cleared his throat. "I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

"Were you sleeping?" Sakura asked. "Your voice sounds... groggy."

"I'm awake now."

"Oh," Sakura said. "I'm sorry..."

"What do you want?" he asked. He paused and bit his lip, silently regretting that his question sounded a bit rude. He ruffled his hair, cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. "I mean, why did you call?"

"Your niece, Aiko, is here," Sakura said. "Your sister dropped her daughter off at my bakery. She told me to call you and have you pick her up if she's not back after an hour," she explained. "She texted me earlier and said that she's running late."

Syaoran grimaced. He remembered suddenly why his sister frantically woke him up earlier. She wanted him to look after his niece. "She asked you to look after Aiko?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Syaoran nodded. "I'll be there. Just give me fifteen minutes," he said before hanging up. He took a quick glance towards the clock and noticed that it was almost noon. Syaoran ran across the room in a hurry and dashed towards the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Syaoran was fully dressed. He checked the clock again, and cursed when he noticed that he was running late. He slid into his car and drove to Sakura's bakery. He pulled over and stepped out from his car. His eyebrow arched. He was sure that Sakura had told him that she was in the bakery. He pulled his phone out from his pocket and dialed her number. "Where are you?" he asked as soon as they were connected.

"What do you mean where am I?" Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm in the bakery."

"No." Syaoran sighed and cast a glance towards the bakery. A notice informing the customers that the bakery was to be closed for two days was plastered on the glass window. "Seriously, where are you? I'm standing in front of your bakery and there's a notice saying that—"

"You're outside?" Sakura cut him off. "Hold on a second."

A few seconds later, Syaoran caught a clicking noise coming out from the bakery. The door swung open, and Sakura was standing before him. She was wearing a pair of worn out jeans, a bubblegum pink t-shirt and a plain white apron.

"Are you in a hurry?"

"No." Syaoran shook his head.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside to let him enter. "You might have to wait for a little bit," she smiled, and locked the door behind her. "Your niece is having her lunch in my office."

Syaoran stepped inside and scanned the bakery. Two ladies in their mid-forties stood behind the counter, polishing the counter with a wiping cloth. The ladies looked up at Syaoran and smiled.

"Who is this, Kinomoto-san?" one of the cleaning ladies asked. "Your boyfriend?"

Sakura laughed. "Yes, Shiori-san." She nodded. "This is my boyfriend, Li Syaoran."

_My boyfriend._

Syaoran used to feel a bit awkward when she had to introduce him as her boyfriend and vice versa only a few weeks ago. But, he noticed that he liked it when Sakura introduced him as her boyfriend.

"Well, the two of you look lovely together," Shiori commented. Her smile remained. "I shouldn't interrupt you with your work then," she said before she continued her work.

"Alright," Sakura replied. "Tell me when you're done, Shiori-san," she said. "I'll be in the kitchen working on my cousin's cake if you need anything." Sakura tugged Syaoran's arm and dragged him to her small office.

Aiko sat on her chair with a small plate on her lap, and a fork on her hand. The small girl looked up and smiled. "Uncle!" She exclaimed when she saw Syaoran stand a few feet from her. "You're here!"

Syaoran marched towards the little girl and bent down to kiss her on her forehead. He stood up straight and ruffled his niece's hair. "What are you do you have there, little princess?"

"Sakura made me some blueberry pancakes!" Aiko said cheerily. "Would you like to have some?" she offered, shoving some pancakes toward him.

"That's very nice of you," Syaoran said. His mouth opened and he chomped the pancake. "Thank you, Aiko," he said between his munch and smiled.

Sakura leaned against the door and crossed her arms against her chest as she watched Syaoran and Aiko. They looked cute together. Syaoran seemed to like kids a lot. For a moment, she couldn't help but to think how Syaoran would be a great father someday.

A great father. Well, if they were married, he would surely be a great father to their kids...

The thought made her stomach lurch. She found her heart starting to race and blood being rushed to her face.

"What?" Syaoran said, snapping her out from her thought.

"Nothing," Sakura said, almost too quickly. "I could make you some pancakes if you want me to," Sakura offered. "You haven't had anything for breakfast, right?" She cast a glance towards her wristwatch and chuckled. "Though, it should be lunch right now."

Syaoran stared at her for a moment. He stood up and shrugged. "That would be great," he replied.

"Great!" Sakura nodded. She stroked her arms and reminded herself to act normally.

"Can I—" Aiko paused and slid off the chair. "Can I have more pancakes too?" She asked as she passed her empty plate to Sakura.

"Sure you can." Sakura smiled and bent down to pinched Aiko on her nose, softly. "Do you want to help me prepare the pancakes?"

"Yes!" The little girl replied excitedly.

"Alright." Sakura giggled. She carried Aiko into the kitchen and placed her on the stainless steel work table. She took all the ingredients needed and combined them into the bowl. "Here you go," she said and handed a whisk to Aiko.

"Careful," Syaoran said to his niece. "You don't want to ruin your dress, Xiao Ai."

"Don't worry," Sakura said and took out a box of fresh blueberries from the refrigerator. "Sheifa left her some spare clothes in her bag."

"Right," Syaoran sighed. "Did she tell you where she might be going?"

"Hmm," Sakura said, examining the pancake batter. "She said something about a date with her husband." Sakura took a rubber spatula and let Aiko folded in some blueberries into the batter. "Thank you, Aiko."

"I can't believe that she's still acting irresponsible." Syaoran shook his head disapprovingly. "And she left her daughter with you."

"I don't mind," Sakura said as she took the batter from Aiko. "Your niece is such good company." Sakura heated a frying pan over a medium heat and scooped some butter into it.

"What are you doing here all alone?" Syaoran asked. "Where's everyone else?"

Sakura chuckled. "We're closed for kitchen cleaning for two days, and I'm staying here for some work. I've got a cake to decorate," she explained and pointed towards the cakes on the worktable. "It's almost done though. We're having a surprise party for my cousin tonight," she paused and turned to Syaoran. "Would you like to come?"

"I can't," Syaoran declined. "I'm on call tonight. Thanks for the invitation though."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. She scooped some batter and poured them into the frying pan.

"Let me do that," Syaoran said, pointing towards the frying pan.

"You wanted to flip the pancake?"

Syaoran nodded. "Can't I do that?"

"No." Sakura shook her head and handed him the frying pan. "I don't mind. Go ahead." Sakura took a few steps backward and joined Aiko at the table. The two girls watched Syaoran flipped the pancake into the air and clapped their hands. "Wow! You're good! Where did you learn to flip like that?"

"Thank you, ladies." Syaoran chuckled. "There are a lot of things that you can learn from TV."

Ten minutes later, Syaoran and Aiko were sitting in the kitchen. Aiko was sitting on the work table and Syaoran had lifted a chair from the dining area into the kitchen, while Sakura went back to her two tiered cakes.

Syaoran stood up and encircled the kitchen. He looked around and noticed that a few recipes were plastered on the wall. He paused and squinted towards a certain recipe. "Death by chocolate cupcakes," he read and turned to Sakura. "You really do have the intention to kill people with your cupcakes."

"Oh, shut up!" Sakura replied and giggled. "That was just some random name."

Syaoran walked towards Sakura and peeked at the cake over her shoulder. He could trace a mix of vanilla and honey scent from her hair. She probably got that vanilla scent from baking the cakes, and those honey scent might come from the pancakes. Whatever it is, the scent of vanilla and honey was intoxicating him.

Then he recalled his conversation with Meiling last night. She had told him that he should take a risk and tell Sakura his newly discovered feelings. Perhaps, she shared the same as he did.

"Hey," Syaoran called.

Sakura turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Uh," he paused and swallowed. He felt like there was a lump on his throat. "That is... I... uh... you," he stammered. And he never stammered before. Well, not this much. Perhaps he was just nervous.

"You what?" Sakura asked.

_What if she doesn't like me?_

"I'm—" Syaoran licked his lips.

If she didn't share the same feeling as him, the agreement would end just like that. And he would have to pay her that million. Not that he minded about paying her or anything. It's just that he didn't want to risk his chance to be around her. He was afraid that he would no longer see her if he told her how he felt.

Sakura put her piping bag into the bowl and frowned. "What is it?"

"I'm hungry," he said.

"You're hungry?" Sakura repeated and laughed. "You had three pieces of blueberry pancakes and you're still hungry?"

Syaoran silently cursed himself for not being able to think of any other excuse. "I guess." He shrugged.

Sakura put her hands on her hips and bit her lips. "Perhaps we should order a takeout," she suggested and turned to him. "What do you want?"

Syaoran sighed. "Anything's fine."

"Anything?" Sakura frowned. "Alright, then." She nodded. "Hold on a second. I should ask Shiori-san what she wants for lunch too," she said and disappeared behind the door.

"I'm an idiot," Syaoran muttered. "God, Syaoran, why can't you think of anything else other than 'I'm hungry?'" he said. He turned to his niece, pulled his hair in frustration and sighed. "Your uncle is an idiot."

"Idiot!" Aiko exclaimed.

"No." Syaoran chuckled and shook his head. "Please don't tell your mother that you picked that up from me. She's going to kill me." Syaoran fished into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone when it rang. He stared at the caller ID and sighed. It was Meiling. "Yes?"

"How's your date going?" she chirped as the line connected.

"What date?"

"Aren't you on a date with Kinomoto in her bakery?" Meiling reminded him.

Syaoran pursed his lips, making a silent assessment. "Wait, how did you know. . ."

"I asked Sheifa to cooperate with me," she cut him off. "I told her that you had problems proclaiming your love to Kinomoto, and she suggested that we use Aiko as bait to create an excuse for you to spend a little bit more time with her."

"You what?"

"I know." Meiling giggled. "You can thank me later."

"So, did you tell Sheifa about the. . ." Syaoran paused and bit his lips.

"Don't worry," Meiling assured him. "I never mentioned any of that."

"Right," Syaoran nodded. He turned to Aiko and caressed her hair. "So, Sheifa never really had a date with her husband?"

"Well, you didn't actually think that she would ditch her daughter for a date with her husband, did you? That is really irresponsible. She's having a shopping date with me, actually," Meiling said. "Oh, and she says hi."

Syaoran sighed disapprovingly.

"But we never thought that her bakery would be closed," Meiling said after a few seconds of silence. "It's like god is helping us. You have to tell her how you feel, Syaoran. This is your chance!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well," he paused and glanced towards the door to make sure that Sakura wasn't there, listening to his conversation. He took a deep breath and told Meiling his dilemmas.

"I understand how you feel," Meiling said softly. "You're worried that she doesn't like you."

"Yes," Syaoran verified.

"I have an idea," Meiling said. "Why don't you make her fall for you instead?"

"What?"

"Yes!" Meiling said. "You don't have to worry about anything if the feeling is mutual."

Syaoran chuckled. "But, how on earth do I make her to fall for me?"

"Flirt with her a little bit!" Meiling said and rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that you've never flirted before?"

Syaoran ran his hands through his hair. "Not really."

"You touch her casually and hold your gaze when you talk to her. Let her know that you're interested in her," Meiling said and sighed disappointingly. "You have so much to learn, young padawan."

"It's easier said than done."

"Man up and go for it! We're all rooting for you, Syaoran," Meiling encouraged before they disconnected.

Syaoran chuckled when the line got disconnected and turned to his niece. "I think your aunt Meiling is nuts."

"Hey," Sakura said when she returned to the kitchen. "Shiori-san offered herself to get us some lunch," she informed. "I ordered some bento. Would that be okay with you?"

Syaoran nodded. "Sure."

"Okay," Sakura smiled. She walked towards her cakes and added a few finishing touches. She took a few steps back and took a deep breath. "It's done!" she exclaimed.

"It's beautiful," Syaoran commented.

"Isn't it?" she said and turned to Syaoran. Then her attention was back to her cake. "Now, all I need to do is keep it in the chiller."

"I'll help you," he offered.

Sakura walked towards the walk-in chiller and snapped the door open. "Thanks," Sakura said as she watched Syaoran carry the cake into the chiller.

"You're welcome," Syaoran said and stepped out from the chiller. The duo walked towards the kitchen and watched Aiko played with some fondant.

"It's actually nice to have both of you around," Sakura said and smiled. "At least I have someone to talk to. And the two of you were such great helpers."

"Hmm," Syaoran said. "Can I do anything else for you?" He looked up and his eyes trained on hers. Meiling did tell him to hold his gaze when he was having a conversation with her. He wasn't sure about the 'touch her casually' advice, though.

"No," Sakura replied. She couldn't help but to feel a bit anxious when he suddenly stared at her like that. She took a few steps back and her small body bumped into the stainless steel table.

But perhaps, Syaoran have been looking Sakura's eyes for too long. He started to be drawn into her, causing his body temperature to raise and his hearts to beat rapidly.

This is too weird.

Sakura bit her lip and grasped her hand on the table tightly when he started to lean towards her. Her eyes drifted to his slightly parted lips and back to his eyes. She swallowed and made a mental warn to herself to move and say something. But she didn't.

Then his lips touched hers. It was very soft and gentle. And it tasted like blueberry pancake.

**-End of chapter 13: Idiot!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Every time the character made a development like this, I always end up screaming to myself; 'now, how the heck am I going to write the next chapter?' *sighs* How do you like the chapter? Don't forget to shower me with love and reviews! xoxo


	14. Now we're even

**Author's Note:** I was surprised by the amount of review from the last chapter. I'm really glad that you like them ^^ I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint much.

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 14: Now, we're even...<strong>

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><p>"No," Sakura replied. She couldn't help but to feel a bit anxious when he suddenly stared into her eyes like that. She took a few steps back and her small body bumped into the stainless steel table.<p>

_This is too weird._

Sakura bit her lip and grasped her hand on the table tightly when he started to lean towards her. Her eyes drifted to his slightly parted lips and back to his eyes. She swallowed and made a mental warn to herself to move and say something. But she didn't.

Then his lips touched hers. It was very soft and gentle. And it tasted like blueberry pancake.

Her stomach lurched. Her body tensed as he slipped an arm around her waist and the other arms around her neck, pulling her towards him. She wasn't sure what she should do or how she should act. Too many thoughts went through her mind at once as his soft, warm lips continued to kiss her decisively.

For instance, she hasn't cleaned up the table. She hasn't washed all those dirty dishes in the wash basin. Shiori-san could be back with their lunch in any minute now. And she was really sure that...

_This is crazy!_

Sakura couldn't tell how much time passed between the beginning and the end of the kiss. But when the kiss tenderly ended, she clapped her hand over her mouth and her wide eyes locked at him in confusion.

Syaoran licked his lips. His mind wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't understand why he had kissed her. His eyes went to her red lips and looked up to gaze into her eyes. It mesmerized him. They both shared a gaze for a moment before they both looked away with their cheeks flushed furiously.

The duo caught a clicking noise coming from the front. Then, there was a rustling sound followed by the cleaning ladies voices chattering. "Kinomoto-san?" Shiori called out. "We're back!"

"I," Sakura said. "Shiori-san is back. I should help her with the food," Sakura said, making an excuse to escape from him.

Syaoran took a few steps back and he turned to the small girl beside him. Aiko was staring at him with a timid smile on her face. His mouth gaped open. "Oh god," he finally said to the little girl. "What have I done?"

**xxx**

Syaoran winced. He couldn't help it. Meiling had been laughing at him non-stop for a full three minutes. It's like someone had drugged her with laughing gas and she just couldn't stop laughing. And he couldn't stand it anymore.

His cousin, Meiling, decided to surprise him with a visit to the hospital when he refused to have a conversation of his date through the phone. Then, she threatened to tell his mother his secret if he decided not to spill anything to her.

And he had to succumb.

"Meiling," he said, indignantly, "Stop it."

"I can't!" Meiling said between her laugh. "This whole damn thing is just too funny!"

"Keep your voice down. You're in the hospital," he said and pursed his lips into a firm thin line. "If you don't stop it now, I'm afraid that I'll have to haul your ass out of here," he threatened.

"Hold on! Give me a minute," Meiling said, before she took a deep breath and exhaled a few times, imitating a pregnant woman who was practicing her breathing exercise. "Okay, I'm good," Meiling said with an awkward smile on her face.

Syaoran sighed.

"You're an idiot," Meiling said with a smile. She adjusted her position and turned to her cousin, scanning his face to read his thought. "I still can't believe that you decided to kiss her instead of telling her how you feel."

"I wasn't thinking," Syaoran blurted.

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Well, that was clear wasn't it?"

Syaoran brushed his fingers through his hair. "I shouldn't have listened to you," he said exasperatedly after a moment of silence. His head shook curtly. "This is your fault, you know," he accused.

"How is it my fault?" Meiling said in disbelieve. "I did tell you to flirt with her a little bit. But, I never said anything about kissing!"

"Well, that's exactly what I did," Syaoran said. "I flirted, held her gaze, then the next thing I knew, I was kissing her."

"Hmm..." Meiling said and smiled. It was clear that she was having fun teasing her cousin. "Raging hormones... What are you, teenagers?"

"I can't face her after what I did," Syaoran sighed and shook his head. "I'm screwed!"

"You're not screwed," Meiling convinced him. Then, she frowned and pursed her lips. "Okay, maybe you're a little bit screwed—you kissed her. That means you've violated the agreement."

"You're not helping!" Syaoran said, raising his voice a little. He ruffled his hair and buried his head between his knees. "What am I going to do now?"

Meiling giggled. She had never seen her cousin this agitated before. She couldn't help but to think it was cute that he was behaving this way. "Relax. What you're going to do is tell her how you feel."

Syaoran turned to his cousin and stared at her as if she just said something alien.

"Listen to me..." Meiling said.

"I'm done listening to you," Syaoran muttered.

"If you really love her, you have to tell her," Meiling said as she put her arm around his shoulder. "You have to talk to her about what happen today. You can't just avoid this issue forever!"

**xxx**

Daidouji Tomoyo beamed. This was one of the happiest days of her life. Earlier today, she had a really amazing date with Eriol in Tomoeda Amusement Park. They had so much fun! They've been to most of the rides, including Ferris wheel, swings ride, house of mirrors and roller coasters before they decided to have some ice cream while strolling around the amusement park.

Then, she beat him a couple times when he challenged her to a Dance Dance Revolution duel in the arcade. Well, it wasn't really a surprise... Tomoyo was really good with video games as her mother is the president of Daidouji Toys Co. Eriol had reimbursed his loss by winning constantly with the shooting game in the arcade and won her a big teddy bear.

And now, here they are... Standing before her manor... Staring at each other with such intense.

"Well," Tomoyo said, breaking up the silence between them. "Thank you, Eriol. I never thought that an amusement park could be this is fun!"

Eriol looked at her and scanned her face. "You've never been to an amusement park before?"

"Of course I have." Tomoyo giggled. "I've been here for quite a few times with Sakura when we were a lot younger," she said. She looked at the teddy bear in her hand and smiled. "But it was a lot of fun with you."

Eriol grinned at her remark. He took a step towards her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her lightly on her lips. It was warm and sweet. It lingered long enough to make Tomoyo swoon like a lovesick teenager.

"I," Tomoyo said shyly. "I should go," Tomoyo said. "My mother is probably waiting for me. It's not that I can see her every day, you know."

"Well then, I suppose I should be courteous and meet your mother," Eriol said.

Tomoyo chuckled. "You wanted to meet my mother?"

Eriol shrugged. "Why not?"

Tomoyo hesitated.

"I should at least tell her that I'm dating her daughter," Eriol said with a smile on his face. "At least she can feel a bit relieved; knowing who her daughter spends her time with."

Tomoyo stared at her boyfriend suspiciously. "Are you sure you wanted to meet my mother?"

Eriol nodded. "I'm positive."

Tomoyo bit her lips. "Alright then," she said and ushered him into the manor. "This is weird," Tomoyo commented as they walked into the house. She flicked a few switches and scanned the house. "There's nobody home. Not even the maids."

"Well, they're probably around here somewhere," Eriol said.

"Perhaps..."

"Maybe we should check the garden?" Eriol suggested. "They could possibly be there."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Come on," Eriol said as he wrapped his arm around Tomoyo's waist.

"Alright," Tomoyo nodded and led him to the garden. She pushed the door to the garden open and her eyes widened. She couldn't really believe what she saw. Everyone was there. Her mother, her grandfather, the maids, Sakura, her parents, Touya and Yukito, standing before her.

"Surprise!" They all yelled in unison.

"Wow!" Tomoyo said as she took a few steps forward. "What's all this for?"

"Congratulation for being nominated for the Rising Designer Award," Eriol whispered and landed a kiss on her forehead.

Tomoyo was dumbfounded when her mother pulled her for a hug and dragged her forwards. She looked up and saw two tiers cake designed after the outfit she submitted for the award. She gasped and turned around to her cousin. "Sakura, did you make this?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes!"

"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed as she cut the cake.

"I'm glad you like it," Sakura said and giggled.

Tomoyo served the cake and passed it around the guests. She took a slice and walked towards Sakura. "This one is for you," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," Sakura said and smile.

Tomoyo stared at her cousin and decided to sit next to her. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Her face showed concern. "It seems like there's something troubling you."

Sakura's smile disappeared. She took a deep breath and bit her lips.

Tomoyo placed her hand gently on Sakura's hand. "You know that you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"I know," Sakura finally said. "But this is your special day. You should go and help Eriol. I mean, he's being interrogated by your mother."

Tomoyo turned around and watched her mother having a little chat with her boyfriend. "He can handle it," she said and smiled. She turned her attention back to Sakura and raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to have the conversation somewhere else?"

Sakura shook her head and consulted her dress. She looked at Tomoyo and smiled awkwardly. "Well," she said nervously before she told her cousin everything—every little bit and every little detail of what happened in her bakery.

Tomoyo seemed a bit calm, in Sakura's opinion. Sakura expected her cousin would start bombarding her with questions. But, instead, Tomoyo sat next to her with her arms still crossed across her chest.

"Tomoyo," Sakura said softly. She frowned and peered at her cousin's expression. "You know," she paused and swallowed. "It would be good if you could say something now. I mean anything at all."

Tomoyo replied her with a sigh. She bit her lips and looked up to her cousin. "How did it feel?"

"What?"

"Kissing him."

Sakura's cheek turned scarlet. "Tomoyo!" she said exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Well." Tomoyo paused. She wasn't sure what she should say in this situation. She never thought that something like this would have happened. "Doesn't that mean that he breached the contract?"

Sakura shrugged. Her expression puzzled.

"So, I assume that this whole pretend-dating thing will be over?" Tomoyo asked as Sakura kept silence.

Sakura stared at Tomoyo and blinked. "I'm not sure. We haven't discussed anything about it."

Tomoyo frowned. "Why did he kiss you?"

"I don't know," Sakura said and shrugged. Her gaze fell on the sliced cake on her plate. "If I figured out why he kissed me, I wouldn't have to make myself crazy thinking about it."

"Perhaps you should give him a call?" Tomoyo suggested.

"And ask him why he kissed me through phone call?" Sakura continued her cousin's sentences and laughed nervously. "That would be a really awkward conversation to have over a phone, don't you think?"

"Let me ask you something, Sakura," Tomoyo said and sighed. "What do you feel about him?"

Sakura was dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Tomoyo sighed. She looked over at Eriol and saw he was still chatting with her mother. "Eriol told me not to interfere with this. But, I don't think that I can ignore it any longer."

"Interfere with what?" Sakura asked. Her eyebrow arched.

"Sakura." Tomoyo paused as she was trying to produce the best way to say what it is on her mind. She looked up and her gaze met with Sakura. "Does it ever occur to you that you might be in love with Li Syaoran?"

"W-what?" Sakura stuttered. Her eyes widened and her cheek flushed. She turned her attention to her shoes and swallowed. "Tomoyo, what makes you think that I might be in love with him?"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "You developed some new chocolate cupcake recipes for him," Tomoyo point out. "How do you explain that?"

"I did that out of generosity," Sakura said and looked away. "I just thought that I should make him something that he could actually enjoy since he doesn't really like sweet things. I wanted him to like my cupcakes."

"Well, surely it was more than that," Tomoyo said and pursed her lips. Trying to help Sakura to realize her feelings towards her pretend-boyfriend was not an easy task. "Why is that important to make him like your cupcakes?"

"Well," Sakura squirmed. She sighed exasperatedly and turned to Tomoyo. "This doesn't make any sense," she chuckled. "Why are we having a conversation about cupcakes?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"Look," Sakura said. "The point is, it's impossible for me to fall in love with him."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Because of the agreement?"

"Yes," Sakura affirmed. "And I think, it's impossible to fall in love within a short period of time." She laughed. "I thought we had this conversation before."

"Sakura," Tomoyo called softly. "It doesn't really work that way. You can't choose who you fell in love with, even more than you can choose when it happens. And there are times when you fall in love with someone who you never thought much of before," Tomoyo said. "Well, I never thought that I would fall in love with Eriol. But I did!"

"Tomoyo," Sakura whimpered.

"Now," Tomoyo said. "I want you to look deep inside your heat and tell me." She paused. She tucked her hair behind her ear and turned to Sakura. "What do you feel when you're around him? Did you have that butterflies in your stomach or anything like that?"

"Well," Sakura sighed. She closed her eyes to play along. "Maybe there are some butterflies." She paused and bit her lip. "I guess, every time we're together, I become anxious. Sometimes, my stomach curls for no apparent reason."

Tomoyo nodded. "And what do you feel when he's not around? Do you feel like you want to see him when he's not around, or keep looking at your cell phone for any messages from him or anything like that?"

Sakura consulted her feet and hesitated. She remembered that there are some times when she would sneak to look at his smiling picture on her phone. "I don't know," she replied. "I suppose, I've always felt like I wanted to see him again when we parted. Sometimes, I just can't get him out from my mind."

"Sakura," Tomoyo called. She shifted towards Sakura and smiled. "Let me ask this again. Are you in love with Li Syaoran?"

Sakura faced to her cousin and stared at her. "Oh god," she finally said after a momentarily silence. "Now that I keep thinking about it," she paused and inhaled. "Am I in love with him?"

Tomoyo's smile widened. "That is something that you will have to figure out yourself, Sakura." She shrugged. "I can't figure it out for you,"

**xxx**

Sakura was dressed in her sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt with a yellow-orange bear with big ears and small white wings printed on it. She pulled her baby pink apron over head and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She walked into the kitchen and talked to a man in his early fifty, briefing him to clean up the oven. She paused and turned around to sneeze.

"Are you alright?" the man asked.

Sakura nodded. She reached for a napkin and blew her nose. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look good," the man commented as he observed Sakura.

"Really," Sakura convinced him. "I'm fine. It's just that I didn't sleeping well last night," Sakura explained and smiled towards the man. "Don't worry about me."

"Alright, if you said so," the man said before he continued his conversation with Sakura regarding the oven. Then, he turned to a few of his workers and instructed them with their duties.

Sakura took her clip board on her office and went to the kitchen storage to start her inventory. She turned to check the flour from the storage and felt slightly dizzy. Last night she was unable to sleep. Well, since Tomoyo have been asking out what she felt for her pretend-boyfriend, she spent all night lying on her bed, trying to figure out what she really feels towards him.

And she was still undecided if she's in love with him.

It's true that she likes his company. But, is it _really_ love?

Sakura blew a heavy sigh and walked into her office. She wasn't really in the mood for work anymore. She tossed her file on the table and sat on her chair. Then, she buried her face in her arms against the table.

"Miss," the man called. "I found this guy loitering outside. He introduced himself as Li Syaoran."

Sakura lifted up her face at the mention of his name: Li Syaoran.

"Do I let him in?" the man asked.

In an instant, Sakura could feel blood starting to rush to her head. She was sure that Syaoran was here to meet her and talk about what happen between them yesterday. The thought sent her a wave of panic. "Sure," Sakura said and nodded. "You can let him in." Sakura swallowed. She grabbed her file and stood up, pacing back and forth. Her heart thumped loudly. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Hi."

Sakura twirled around and faced Syaoran. He stood at her door with his hands in his pockets. "Hi," she replied nervously.

"I thought you'd be here," Syaoran said as he took a few steps towards her. "I tried to call you, but your number was out of reach."

"Yeah." Sakura nodded. "It probably ran out of battery," she lied. She had purposely turned off her cell phone to avoid everyone else. She thought that she just needed a few moments alone to think. "Have a seat," she said, pointing towards a chair.

Syaoran did as he was told and watched Sakura as she was sorting out some papers across him. "Sakura," he called her name.

Her heart quivered a bit when he called her. She glanced at him behind her shoulder and licked her lips. "Yeah... what is it? Do you need anything from me?"

"Why don't you sit down first?" he suggested.

Sakura bit her lower lip. "Just a moment," she said. "I need to sort out all these papers first."

"We need to talk," Syaoran said.

"Uh huh," Sakura replied. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Sakura..." he called her name softly.

Sakura froze for a few second. The way he softly pronounced her name sent shivers down to her spine. Her breath was caught in her chest. Slowly, she turned around to face him and noticed that there was a mix of gentleness and nervousness in his face.

"We should talk about what happen," Syaoran said.

Sakura leaned her body on the counter and looked down to her sneakers. She didn't dare to lift up her face and look at him straight to his eyes. "You violated the agreement," she finally said.

"I know," Syaoran replied and sighed. He scanned her face and took a deep breath. "But that doesn't mean that the agreement is over, right?"

Sakura lifted her face and her gaze met his. She frowned with confusion. She couldn't point out what he's trying to tell her.

"I mean." Syaoran paused and ran his fingers through her hair anxiously. "We don't want to deal with our parents questions on why we would suddenly decide to stop seeing each other."

Sakura bit her lip. "You're right," she said after a while.

"It would probably better for us to play along for another week."

"Eight days," Sakura corrected him.

"Right," Syaoran nodded. "It would save us from a lot of trouble from our family."

"Definitely," Sakura said. Her gaze followed Syaoran as he stood up and took a few steps towards her.

"But, I guess, I still owe you a million yen," Syaoran said. "For violating the contract."

Sakura chuckled. If he had violated the contract a few weeks earlier, she would have probably extorted that money from him. But now, she found herself not so interested in that million yen anymore. In fact, she didn't care if everyone found out about their agreement. "That's not necessary."

"Look," Syaoran said after a while. "I'm sorry for what I did." He paused and pursed his lips into a firm, thin line. "For, uh, kissing you all of a sudden."

Her cheek flushed.

"I acted impulsively. I guess I wasn't thinking straight," he admitted, "It should have never happened. It was a stupid mistake."

_A mistake. A stupid mistake._

Her breathing was heavy. She looked away; her jaw clenched.

"I really should pay you that million yen."

"I said that's not necessary!" Sakura retorted. She bit her lip and looked up to face Syaoran. She was surprised with her sudden outburst. "I'm sorry," she said. She stood up abruptly and headed out. Then, her head started to feel dizzy again. The next thing she heard was his voice calling out her name before she passed out.

**xxx**

Sakura was jarred awake shortly after midnight. Her green eyes scanned through the familiar surroundings. It was dark. For a moment, she couldn't point out where she was until she saw that IV beside her. She adjusted her positioning and tried to sit down on the mattress.

"You should lie down for a bit," a voice whispered.

Sakura looked up and noticed that Chiharu was smiling at her. "What happened to me?"

"You passed out from sleep deprivation, fever and slight overwork," Chiharu explained. "But you should be alright after resting up a bit."

"How did I end up here?"

"You should thank him," Chiharu said, pointing towards a sleeping figure beside her. "He brought you here."

She squinted a bit and noticed that it was Syaoran. His head was buried on her bed between his arms. "Oh." Was all Sakura managed to say.

"He was really worried about you. Your mother offered to stay with you and he declined. He told her that he wanted to look out after you," Chiharu said and her smile widened. "Well, I have to tell you that he was worried about you as compared to the last time you were admitted in the hospital. I think, he really is in love with you."

Sakura smiled faintly.

Chiharu walked towards her and adjusted her pillow. "You should lie down and rest."

"Thank you," Sakura said as she obediently did as she was told. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep until she was sure that Chiharu was out from her sight. She blinked her eyes open and turned to Syaoran. Her gaze fell on his sleeping face.

He had stayed with her. And that thought alone makes her happy.

Her fingers slowly found their way towards him and she touched his hair lightly. The sight of him made her feel like her heart was going to burst. She knew that she's in love with him. Sakura smiled and turned her body around a bit so that she could face him.

Syaoran jerked when he felt a sudden movement from her. He sat up on his chair and stretched his body. He looked up and noticed that Sakura was staring at him. "Hey," he said in a whisper and smiled. "You're awake."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah..."

He leaned forward and placed his hand on her forehead, measuring her temperature. "I was really worried," he said after a while.

"I know..."

"Why didn't you mention that you weren't feeling well back then?"

Sakura bit her lip and continue to stare at him. "Thank you," she finally said. "For looking after me."

Syaoran smiled at her. "It's my duty to look after my girlfriend."

Sakura averted his eyes. She could feel her face becoming hot with embarrassment. "And I'm sorry for snapping out to you earlier."

"Yes, that." Syaoran nodded. "Why were you mad at me when I told you that I would pay you that million?" He leaned forward to her and frowned. "I thought that was what we agreed on?"

Sakura sighed. It wasn't that she was mad at him when he told her that he was going to pay that million. She snapped at him because he told her that the kiss was a mistake. And she had certainly hoped that the kiss meant a lot more of that.

Sakura licked her lips. She crooked her fingers, motioning him to come closer to her.

And he did.

Sakura supported her body with her hand to help her get up a little. Then, she leaned forward and landed a soft kiss on his cheek. She inched away from him and looked at his astonished expression. "Now, we're even... Would you stop mentioning that million yen?" she said before she pulled her blanket over her head, hiding away from him. She closed her eyes and smiled as she heard him chuckled.

**-End of Chapter 14: Now, we're even...-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I thought that this chapter is a bit... lame. But the next chapter is going to be interesting! (I hope!) Hmm... I guess, there's probably going to be another two or three chapter before the story end. I'm excited (though I still haven't got any idea for the next chapter and I need to motivate myself to write instead of rolling around lazily). Don't forget to review! xoxo


	15. A million yen check

**Author's Note:** I thought that I was trying too hard with the last chapter. I'm glad that my readers find them sweet. Thank you for your review! I'm motivated! ｍ（．＿．）ｍ

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 15: A million yen check<strong>

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><p>"So, the contract isn't cancelled?" Tomoyo asked in a whisper. She watched her cousin drizzle some chocolate sauce on the banana split cupcakes and decided to help her by sprinkling some nuts.<p>

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Well, the contract is going to end in a week anyway," she paused and shrugged. "So, he thinks that it's probably best if we continue to play along for another week. It could avoid us a lot of trouble."

Tomoyo smiled. "He likes you!"

Sakura turned to her cousin and chuckled. Her cheeks redden. "What?" she said as she took the banana split cupcakes and passed the tray to Akari in the front kitchen.

"Trust me," Tomoyo said as Sakura came back with a tray of black forest cupcakes. "I know he likes you a lot."

Sakura tossed another tray of black forest cupcakes on her worktable and placed her hands on her hips. "And what makes you say that?"

"That reminds me," Tomoyo said, and adjusted her dress. "When are you going to tell him how you feel about him?"

"Feel what?"

Sakura twirled around and saw Eriol standing behind her with a tray of Boston Cream cupcakes. He raised an eyebrow and waited for their answer.

"Sakura's in love with her boyfriend," Tomoyo announced.

"Oh?" Eriol frowned and turned to Sakura. "And what are you doing here, Sakura?" he asked. "You're supposed to be resting. You were discharged from the hospital three hours ago and you're back to work?"

Sakura sighed. "What am I supposed to do then? You can't expect me to be home resting. I got plenty of rest last night and I think I've slept enough," she said indignantly. "If I have to stay at home doing nothing, I'm going to die of boredom."

"Nonsense. Boredom can't kill you," Eriol said. He faced Sakura and shrugged. "I don't really mind that you're back at work. But please, don't overdo it."

"How am I going to overwork myself by frosting and decorating cupcakes?" Sakura rolled her eyes and marched towards the storage room.

Eriol slid his cupcake tray on the baking rack and watched his employer as she returned with a jar of cherries. He crossed his arms on his chest and leaned on the kitchen counter, deciding to join the conversation between the girls.

"You're not answering my question," Tomoyo said as Sakura returned.

Sakura sighed. "I can't. What if he doesn't like me back?"

"Sakura," Tomoyo said. "I've been telling you this for a while now: he likes you!"

Sakura placed the jar on the table and turned to her cupcakes. "Why are you so sure that he likes me?" She cast a glance towards her cousin and raised an eyebrow.

Tomoyo bit her lip. "Do you remember when Li stood you up on your date?"

Sakura remembered that day. Syaoran didn't turn up for their date and she found out from Chiharu that he had an emergency. "Yeah, I remember," she said and nodded. "What about it?"

"He came over here looking for you," Tomoyo said.

"Mmm..." Sakura said. She turned to her black forest cupcakes and began to frost them with whip cream. "I remember he told me that he stopped by the bakery looking for me," she said. Sakura placed her piping bag on the worktable and pursed her lips. "And you also told him that I tried out some recipes for him. Why did you have to do that? You have no idea how embarrassed I was."

"I needed to find out how he feels about you, that's why," Tomoyo said, and laughed. She turned to her boyfriend and saw him raising an eyebrow towards her. "And from what I observed, I think he likes you."

"That doesn't sound very convincing," Sakura said and chuckled. She took some shaved chocolate and sprinkled them on top of the cupcakes.

"You should have seen him when you fainted," Tomoyo said.

Eriol nodded. "He was much more frantic than your mother was."

"Sakura, trust me on this," Tomoyo convinced. "If he didn't like you, he wouldn't have suggested for both of you to play along this pretend-dating for another week after he breached the contract. And he definitely wouldn't have kissed you."

Sakura's cheek turned scarlet at the mention of the incident. She looked away and focused on her work—topping the cupcakes with maraschino cherries.

"He kissed you?" Eriol asked. His eyebrow arched. "When did that happen?"

"A few days ago," Tomoyo said with a smile. "It happen somewhere between inventory and cake decorating for my surprise party."

"I don't want to talk about it," Sakura said when she noticed that Eriol was eying her suspiciously. She took the black forest cupcake, and handed the tray to Akari. "And you two should stop prying into my love life."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow and turned to Eriol. "_Her _love life, she says."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'm done for today," she said as she took off her apron. "Eriol, you can manage the rest, right?"

"Sure," Eriol nodded. "Where are you going? Finally decided to listen to my advice to head home and rest?"

"She's got a date with her 'boyfriend,'" Tomoyo answered, finger quoting on the word boyfriend as Sakura ignored them and started to wipe her work table.

Eriol raised an eyebrow when he saw Sakura paused and pull out her cell phone from her pocket with a smile on her face. "She seems unusually excited about it," he commented and turned to his girlfriend. "And I thought we agreed not to interfere with Sakura's relationship with Li," Eriol said when Sakura was out of earshot.

Tomoyo turned to Eriol and smiled innocently. "I'm not interfering with anything."

Eriol chuckled at Tomoyo's comment. "I thought you were worried that she was going to fall for him," he said. "But, you seem too calm about all this."

"Yeah." Tomoyo nodded and turned to her boots. "I was worried that he didn't have the same feelings towards her. But now that I think he likes her too, it's a whole different story."

"Are you going to meet him in the hospital?" Eriol asked when Sakura walked out of the locker room with a bag hung on her shoulder.

"No." Sakura shook her head lightly. "I'm going home."

Eriol frowned and glanced at Tomoyo. "I thought you had a date."

"Yes," Sakura said. "But I'm not going to let him pick me up from the bakery. He's going to lecture me for hours if he found out that I went to work today," she continued and shuddered. "Do you know how dreadful it is to be lectured by him in the morning?"

**xxx**

"Cupcake," Syaoran said with a sigh when he ushered Sakura into his car. "You went straight to your bakery right after you were discharged from the hospital, didn't you?" he said with a frown. "I thought I told you to stay home and rest."

Sakura blinked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Syaoran shut her door and slid into the driver seat. "You can't fool me, I can tell from the way you smell like vanilla and…" He paused and leaned forward, leaving a few centimeters gap between them. "A bit of cinnamon."

Sakura inched back and stared at him. Her face turned red. For a moment, she thought that he was going to kiss her again. "You're imagining things," she said. She probably caught the scent while popping out a few trays of vanilla and apple cinnamon cupcakes from the oven a few hours ago.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and gave her a 'oh, really' look.

"Well, it's either that, or maybe something is wrong with your nose," Sakura suggested. She shrugged and gave him an innocent look. "You're a doctor. You should have known better."

"Sakura..." he called her name gently.

Sakura stiffened and bit her lip. "What?"

He sucked in some air and watched her fidgety expression. "Just admit it."

"Fine," she said after a while. "I admit it. I can't stand to stay home and do nothing. So, I went straight to work after I was discharged," she said. "But I promise you, all I did was simple work."

"What did you do, exactly?"

"Frosting and sprinkling."

Syaoran nodded and smiled.

He had a theory that she would stop being stubborn for a while and listened to him when he softly called her name. He remembered the way she got anxious when he called her by her name yesterday. And he remembered the way she stiffened while they were arguing in the hospital earlier today. And he thought that he should probably try and call her by her name again just to prove that his theory was right.

And he was right. The thought that she would flinch every time he spoke her name softly amused him.

Sakura took a deep breath and faced him. "Are you going to give me another hour lecture?"

Syaoran chuckled at her question. "I haven't thought of that. But, now that you mentioned it, it seems like a pretty good idea."

"Oh god," Sakura muttered, "Not again."

"But," Syaoran paused as he shifted his gear and pulled the handbrake. "I'm going to let it pass if you agree to spend the rest of your day with me," he said with a smile on his face.

"Don't you have to work?"

"Half day," he briefly explained. His eyes focused on the road.

"And if I did that." Sakura paused and wrinkled her nose. "You promise me that you won't start your speech on me?"

Syaoran nodded. "I promise."

"Alright then," Sakura said with a light nod. "I don't mind as long as you promise that you're not going to lecture me."

Syaoran sighed. "Cupcake, if you hate to be lectured so much, you should have listened to me in the first place," he said, casting a glance towards her. "And I wasn't lecturing you. I was advising you to take a good care of yourself like any doctor would."

Sakura pursed her lips as she listened to him. He had promised her that he wouldn't start lecturing her, and now, here he was going at it again. "And what about you?" she countered. "I remember a few weeks ago you worked for almost thirty six hours without sleep."

"I was trying to save a life, remember?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "By jeopardizing your health?"

"I'm not jeopardizing anything. I know my body's limit. And I certainly didn't faint like you did." Syaoran stopped when they reached traffic and turned to Sakura. "Why are we having this argument?"

Sakura shrugged. "You started it."

**xxx**

Sakura pursed her lips tightly as she watched Syaoran stand a few meters in front her. His hair was messy from the wind blowing, his eyes were fixed on a tomb before him, and his lips muttered something she couldn't hear. She stopped and cast a glance towards the bouquet on her hand. She thought that it would be better to leave him for a while.

Syaoran looked up from the tomb and turned to Sakura. She was wearing a white and pastel pink t-shirt dress and a denim capri. His gaze softened when he saw her. He smiled and motioned her to come closer.

Sakura sucked in some air and took a few steps towards him. She knelled down a bit and set down the flower bouquet. She stood up, smiled at him and turned to the tomb. His father's name was engraved on it.

"My father died six years ago," Syaoran said, breaking up the silence between them.

Sakura nodded. She wasn't sure what to say in a time like this. After all, she had never expected that he would take her to visit his father's grave when he suggested that she should spend her day with him.

"He suffered from diabetes," he continued. "He wouldn't give up on his sugar intake despite losing his legs. That old man was so stubborn. Sometimes, he would sneak into the kitchen for some ice cream while we weren't looking. Sometimes, he would beg his grandchildren for their candy." He paused and laughed at his memory with his father.

Sakura bit her lips. "Is that why you hate sweet stuff?" she guessed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Isn't that silly?"

"No." Sakura shook her head lightly. "Not at all."

"My father especially loved cupcakes," Syaoran told her. He took a deep breath and chuckled. "I guess that's why I hated it when you told me you own a cupcake bakery on our first date."

"Yeah, I remember that," Sakura said and smiled. Her eyes darted towards her sandals. "Do you still hate my cupcakes now?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, I can't. Not when you developed some recipes for me," he said and smirked. His tone was teasing.

Sakura laughed nervously at his comment.

"I'm sure that my father would have loved you a lot if he were still alive," Syaoran said.

Sakura looked up and scanned his face. Her fingers slowly disentangled from her bag straps and reached for his hand.

Syaoran twitched when her small fingers touched him. He turned to the woman beside him and gazed at her expression—her face brightened with her smile. He took a deep breath and swallowed. "Sakura," he said.

"Yes?"

"I—" He paused. "I have something to tell you."

**xxx**

"Wow!" Fanren said as she walked into the kitchen. She stared at her mother for a while and smiled. "You're beaming," she commented. "Did something happen? Did you win the lottery or something?"

Yelan turned to her daughter for a brief moment and went back to cut some vegetables. "I'm just happy, that's all."

Fanren took a mug and poured herself some water. She drank half of it and leaned on the kitchen counter. "What happen?"

Yelan sighed contently. "It's Syaoran."

"What about him?" Fanren asked. "What did he do to make you this happy?"

"I'm just glad that the two of them are finally making a whole lot of progress," Yelan said. She placed her knife down and turned to her daughter. "You should have seen them in the hospital earlier today. They're starting to act like a real couple."

"Mother," Fanren squinted. "Are you sure that you're not imagining things?"

Yelan's smile faded. "Of course not," she said. "You should have seen how they bickered when your brother tried to feed her breakfast this morning and how they argued when he told her to stay home and rest for a couple days."

Fanren shook her head and laughed. "Are you sure that was your son?"

"Are you suggesting me that my eyesight's bad?" Yelan said. Her eyebrow arched. "Of course I'm sure that was my son."

"No." Fanren smiled. "It's just that, it doesn't sound like my little brother at all."

Yelan shrugged. "I guess, sometimes, people do things out of character when they're in love."

"You should have taken some pictures of them," Fanren suggested, "We could use those pictures to threaten or tease Syaoran when we need to."

"Oh, don't worry," Yelan said with a smile. "I already thought of that."

**xxx**

Syaoran smiled as he watched Sakura take off her sandals. She tucked her auburn behind her ear and walked towards the ocean. Her feet playfully splashed the water. Five minutes ago, he decided to pull over when Sakura excitedly told him that they should have a walk along the beach. He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. "You can do it, Syaoran," he mumbled under his breath. "You can tell her how you feel."

"What was that?"

Syaoran turned around and faced a woman in her early twenties smiling at him. "Nothing." He shook his head and chuckled. "I was talking to myself."

"Okay," the woman said and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She looked behind his shoulder and smiled. "Is that your girlfriend?"

Syaoran slipped some money on the counter and turned around. Sakura was still there. She squatted down and her fingers were poking on something in the white sand. "Yes," he replied. His smile remained.

"She's beautiful," the woman commented. She took his money, and exchanged them with his balance. She nodded and gestured towards Sakura. "It seems like she found herself some admirers."

Syaoran turned around and saw Sakura was talking with two guys. He thanked the woman, took his purchased items and jogged towards Sakura. "Hi, there," he said and slid a beach hat on her head.

"Hi," Sakura said and smiled.

The men mumbled something at each other and thanked Sakura before they walked away.

"Who are those guys?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't know," Sakura said, shrugging. "They were asking me for direction."

"Direction?" Syaoran frowned. "Are you sure they weren't hitting on you?"

"Why would they hit on me?" Sakura asked with a giggle.

Syaoran looked at her, saying nothing. He took a quick breath as thousands of emotions ran through him. It was weird how she could make his heart quiver with the way she laughed.

Sakura's smile faded. She couldn't make out his expression. His jaw locked, his eyes intense. Sakura averted his eyes and stared at the white sand on her feet. She took off the hat on her head and stared at it for a few seconds. It was a white straw hat with pale pink ribbons. "What's with this straw hat?"

"Don't take it off," Syaoran commented. He snatched the hat from her hand and placed it back on her head. "You needed it. The weather is hot and I don't want you to faint again."

"Thank you," Sakura said. She pulled the edge of her hat and covered her face.

"Drink some water and keep yourself hydrated," Syaoran said. He uncapped the bottle on his hand and passed it to Sakura.

Sakura nodded and obediently followed his instruction. "And why are you barefoot?" Syaoran asked. "It's dangerous. You might step on some glass or something and injure yourself."

Sakura sighed. "Doctor, you have to stop worrying about me. We're not in the hospital," she said and chuckled. "And I'm sure that you can always treat me if I get injured."

Syaoran sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. "You're one stubborn patient!"

"And you nag a lot for a doctor," she countered.

They two continued to walk along the beach in silence, both were too preoccupied with their thoughts. Five minutes later, they reached the pier and decided to sit on a bench after a long walk.

"So," Sakura said, breaking up the silence between them. She turned to Syaoran and studied his face. "You told me that you had something to say." She paused and raised an eyebrow. "Is it important?"

Syaoran pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah," he said. He took out a white envelope from his pocket and handed it to Sakura. "This is for you."

"What is this?" Sakura eyed the envelope suspiciously. "Can I see what's inside?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Sakura pulled out a piece of paper from the envelope and frowned. "A million yen check..." she read out and turned to Syaoran. She clenched her teeth and sighed. "I thought, I've told you that—"

"I know what you're going to say," Syaoran said, cutting her off. "But you need to listen to me first."

Sakura scanned his face and nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."

"I—" He paused and took a deep breath. Syaoran uncapped the bottle and drank half of the water to get rid of his nerves. "I'm about to break another article of the agreement."

Sakura stared at him for a bit and laughed. "What?"

"Sakura," he spoke. His eyes gazed into hers. "I think I'm in love with you."

Sakura's smile faded. His confession hung in the air as time seemed to stand still. She stared at him with her wide eyes. Her stomach lurched. She couldn't seem to hear what he just told her. "What did you just say?" She finally said.

"I know that we didn't start off on the right foot," he said. "I acted like a real jerk when we first met. And I know that we started to see each other because our parents wanted us to." He paused and looked up to see her expression. It was clear that she was still shocked.

Sakura stared at him in astonishment. She avoided his gaze and her eyes fell on his trembling hand. She noticed how nervous he really was. It probably took him a lot of courage to tell her that he's in love with her.

"And I never thought that this would happen and I don't know how it happened…" He paused and sucked in some air. "But I fell in love with you."

Sakura's lips parted. Her hand slowly clapped her mouth. Blood gushed to her brain. She almost feel like she's going to faint again. She was sure that he could hear her heart beat rapidly.

"I thought that maybe we could date each other for real," he said and swallowed. "I know that I'm not a perfect person. I can't say that I'll be good at this relationship stuff. I can't promise that I won't make mistakes and I can't promise that I won't hurt you in the process." He paused and studied her face. "But I think, I'm willing to give it a try if it's okay with you. Are you willing to give it a try with me?"

She felt hot tears behind her eyes. She wasn't sure why tears streamed down to her cheek. It's not that she was upset or anything. But, perhaps there was something about him that made her want to cry. Perhaps, it was the way his hand trembled nervously, the way he told her that he love her, the way he sounded so... sincere.

"Hey," Syaoran whispered. His hands framed her small face and he wiped away her tears with his fingers. "Were you upset by the things I said?"

She shook her head lightly and bit her lips. In any second, she would start to hyperventilate.

"Then why are you crying?" His gaze softened.

Sakura chuckled. It's weird how she wanted to laugh and cry in the same time. "Sorry," she muttered. "I," she paused, took a deep breath and tried again. "I..."

"You don't have to answer me straight away," Syaoran said as he sensed nervousness from Sakura. "You can take your time to think it over and give me your answer when you're ready. Is that alright?"

**-End of Chapter 15: A million yen check-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This chapter was a bit difficult for me as I'm not really good with expressing my feelings to other people (or so, my family and friends used to say). How do you think Sakura is going to answer Syaoran?

The next chapter is going to be a bit delay as I'm going away to visit my grandma and other relatives. Please make me happy by sending me your review!


	16. This is a conspiracy!

**Author's Note:** I'm really, really happy with your review! Thanks! I finally managed to write the chapter after coming back from visiting. This chapter was hard. Well, I had sleep deprived (and still have them) after coming back from my grandma's. Then, there's work and all that. I hope this chapter wasn't such a disappointment... **m(_ _)m**

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 16: This is a conspiracy!**

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><p>Sakura bit her lip as she sobered up. She found herself unable to utter anything to him. She was embarrassed by her sudden outburst. When Syaoran told her that he was in love with her, she spent most of her time crying without any apparent reason. And Syaoran had been kind enough to stay with her and console her.<p>

It could be hormones, she decided.

It could be that she was stirred by his confession. She was moved when he told her that he wanted to date her for real, instead of pretend-dating like they've been doing. She was moved when he told her that he wanted to give their relationship a try. And she was happy that she found out that he felt exactly the same as her.

"So," Syaoran broke off doubtfully. "Do you want a hug?"

Sakura stared at him in surprised for a few second before she broke into a soft laugh. "What?"

"Ah," he paused, smiling cautiously. His fingers ran carefully through his hair. "I just remembered you said that a hug could comfort you when you're upset. And I thought that maybe you wanted a hug."

Sakura placed her hand on his and smiled. "Thank you," she said, "But, I'm fine. I'm not upset or anything. I'm just," she paused and stared at her shoes. "I'm just happy. I'm really happy that you told me that you love me." Sakura bit her lip as she felt her face grew hot. She clenched tightly on her purse. "Thank you," she said in almost a whisper.

"Oh," his lips curved into a smile. "You're welcome?"

Sakura laughed on how his reply sounded more like a question. She took a deep breath and turned to him. Her gaze fell on his eyes. "Syaoran," she said and bit her lip hesitantly.

He twitched a bit. It was the first time he had heard her pronounce his name. He like the way she spoke his name with her soft voice. "Y-yes?" Syaoran stuttered. He was nervous now. His palms started to sweat.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Sakura stared at the envelope for a while. Then, slowly, she placed the envelope into his hand. "I don't think that I can accept your money."

Syaoran's smile faded. His face turned slightly pale. "Why?"

"I—" She paused and pursed her lips. "I always thought that falling in love would be a gradual, logical process," she said, ignoring his question. "I mean, we dated each other because our parents wanted us to, and we have been pretend-dating for less than a month."

Syaoran stared at her and nodded.

He wasn't sure where this conversation would lead him to. But he was sure that Sakura was ready to give him her answer. He couldn't help but to feel slightly terrified of what she's going to say. He had told her earlier that she could answer him when she was ready. But he had never thought that it was going to be this soon.

"I've always thought that it was impossible to fall in love with anyone within a short period of time. Therefore, I never thought that I would fall for you," Sakura said. "But, I fell in love with you."

"Oh," Syaoran said and nodded. Then he looked at Sakura and blinked in confusion as his brain managed to process what she had just told him. "I'm sorry," he paused and licked his lips. "What did you say?"

Sakura smiled at his reaction. She can't help but to think that his reaction was too cute. She probably gave him the same reaction when he told her he's in love with her. She swallowed. "I think I'm in love with you too." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on his lips.

Syaoran licked his tingling lips. His expression stunned. He stared at the woman before him and blinked, only to ensure that he wasn't dreaming.

"I—" She paused and um-ed and ah-ed for a moment. "I'd love to give this relationship with you a chance."

His lips slowly turned into a smile. "Are you sure?"

She gave him a slow nod. "Yes."

Syaoran pressed his lips on Sakura's forehead and gathered her into his arm. "Thank you," he said, and smiled. He swallowed, allowing relief and joy to wash away his nervousness.

"So," Sakura said as she pulled away from his embrace. "What are we supposed to do with the agreement?" she asked, smiling shyly. "You know, since we both violated the agreement."

Syaoran chuckled at her statement. "Isn't that obvious?" He raised an eyebrow. "The agreement is over between us."

"Dating for real is going to be really weird, don't you think?" Sakura said. Her eyes gazed into his.

"Why is that?"

"Well," Sakura paused and shrugged. Her lips curved into a playful smile. "We would no longer do things out of fear that your mother is sending someone to spy on us."

Syaoran laughed. "You're right," he said, and nodded. He took her hand in his and their fingers entwined. "I bet my mother would be ecstatic when she found out about this. She might start to plan our wedding right away."

Sakura laughed nervously. "Probably," she said and heaved a soft sigh. "I guess, we have less than a week to date each other for real before we give our parents our decision, right?"

"Mmm..." He nodded. He leaned forward and smiled mischievously.

Sakura bit her lips and avoided his gaze. "What do you think they're going to say when we break the news? Do you think that they're going to be shoc—

Her last words were lost when he silenced her with a kiss. Sakura closed her eyes and felt his arm tightened around her as they kissed deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his warmth against her. There were fireworks in her stomach.

"Let's break the news to them tomorrow," he suggested as they pulled apart. His eyes stared intently into hers.

Sakura rounded her eyes in shocked. "Don't you think that's too sudden? Shouldn't we wait until next week?"

"We have to tell them nevertheless." He shrugged. "Why wait?"

**xxx**

Hiiragizawa Eriol folded his arms across his chest and adjusted his glasses. His eyes were focused on his employer, who was measuring the ingredients for their tiramisu cupcakes. He exhaled a deep sigh and marched towards Sakura. "That's it," he said, snatching the measuring cup away from her.

"Eriol!" Sakura snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm saving you from making a big mistake," Eriol explained. "In case you haven't noticed, you just mistook salt from sugar."

"Well," Sakura paused, biting her lips a bit to think. "Perhaps I was trying to create a new cupcake recipe?"

"What?" Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Salted tiramisu cupcakes?" He shook his head lightly in disapproval. "Forget it, Sakura. You're out from here. You can't work in this condition."

"I hate to say this," Steve said, approaching them, "But I have to agree with Eriol. You're losing your focus. You definitely need some timeout."

Sakura frowned. "You guys can't kick me out from my own kitchen!" She chuckled and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm the boss here."

"Of course we can," Eriol said. "You're going to thank us later for saving you when you're facing the customers' complaints from eating your cupcakes." He turned to his girlfriend and nodded lightly. "Take her away from here."

"No!" Sakura exclaimed.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and grabbed her cousin by her arms. "Come on, Sakura," she said, dragging Sakura into her office. "You have to stop being overly dramatic. That is so not you."

"I have to get back to work," she said. "I need to make myself busy to forget about all these things, Tomoyo."

"No," Tomoyo said, and pushed her down on a chair. "You need to forget about all this workload for a bit. You need to relax."

Sakura took a deep breath. "I am relaxed."

"No, you're not," Tomoyo spun her chair around and started to massage her stiff shoulder.

Sakura twirled her chair and turned to her cousin. "Oh god!" she said frantically. "What am I supposed to do, Tomoyo? I'm really, really nervous." She paused and took another breath. "I'm going to start to hyperventilate any minute now."

Stop that!" Tomoyo said, slapping her cousin's shoulder hard. "You're just going to tell your parents that you guys love each other. And they're probably going to start planning your wedding. That's all."

Sakura grimaced in pain. "That's all?" She repeated dryly. "That's more reason why I should be panicking, Tomoyo!" She buried her face between her hands and shook her head. "I think, I'm having a panic attack."

Tomoyo laughed quietly as she watched her cousin. She couldn't help but to think of how adorable Sakura was when she was panicking. "I'm sorry, but I think I have to agree with Li. I mean, obviously, you two are in love with each other. So why wait?"

"Tomoyo!" Sakura exclaimed and stood up abruptly. "You're not helping."

"Oh." Tomoyo marched towards Sakura and gave her a tight hug. Her hands patted Sakura's back lightly. "I'm sure everything is going to be alright, Sakura."

Sakura sighed as they were apart.

"The fact that Li suggested to break the news to your parents earlier than planned means that he thinks of a future with you," Tomoyo said and smiled. "When a boy thinks of his future with his girlfriend, that means, he's serious. Sakura, he's really serious about you."

"I know." Sakura blew another sigh and nodded. "It's just that, we haven't had a real date yet."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Forget about real dates. As far as I know, all your pretend dates seemed quite real to me," she said, "I mean, all those lunch dates and late night meeting—"

"We're meeting as friends."

"Yeah right," Tomoyo crossed her hand across her chest. "Except that, friends didn't go visit each other late every day. That's something that a couple would do."

"I have a bad feeling about all this, Tomoyo."

"Stop making lame excuses," Tomoyo sighed, pushed Sakura on her chair and started to massage her shoulders again. "Just relax, alright?"

**xxx**

Yelan washed a few vegetables in the wash basin and cast a glance towards her daughter. "Did Sheifa tell you when she's coming to help?"

Fanren winced as she chopped some onion. She paused and nodded. "She said she'll be here soon," She blinked her eyes a few times and turned to her mother. "Mother," she said. "Why are the Kinomotos having lunch with us today?"

"Fanren," Yelan said in a warning tone. "Don't say things like that. It sounds really rude."

"That's not what I mean," Fanren said, and chuckled. She walked over to her mother and washed her hand with some soap. "I mean, why are they planning to have lunch over here on short notice?"

"Your brother told me that he has something to tell us," Yelan said and smiled. "I'm sure he plans to tell us their decision after dating each other for _almost_ a month."

"That impatient brat," Fanren commented. She chuckled and shook her head lightly. "They had another week before he could announce their decision, and they decided to do that before their dating period could end?"

Yelan laughed merrily "Well," she paused, took some chopped onion and started sauteing them over the heat. "That just means that he's really in love with her. I mean, surely, he wouldn't be this impatient if he's not in love with her."

"Or," Fanren paused and shrugged. "They hated each other so much that they can't stand to date each other for another week."

Yelan stared at her first daughter as if she just told her that pigs could fly. She grimaced. "I'm really sure that it's the other way around."

**xxx**

"I'm nervous," Sakura announced as Syaoran pulled over his car. She took a deep breath and turned to Syaoran. He had picked her up from her bakery earlier for the big day. "Why do you seem so relax?"

Syaoran chuckled. He took her hand in his and held it tightly. "I'm really nervous too."

"I find that really hard to believe, doctor," Sakura smiled nervously. "You seemed cool, calm and collected."

Syaoran shrugged and smirked. "Well, maybe I just hide my nervousness better than you." He leaned forward and planted his lips on hers. He cupped her face with his hand and pulled her closer.

"You know," Sakura said as they broke off. "We're in the neighborhood. Somebody might see us."

Syaoran smiled "I don't really mind," His finger moved alongside her face and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I was just trying to make you a bit more relax. I was trying to clear your mind."

"Well then." She paused and laughed nervously. "I have to tell you that you've failed tremendously," she said and wrinkled her nose. "In fact, you're making me a lot more nervous than before."

"Sakura," he said in a whisper. "Everything is going to turn out just fine." Syaoran smiled. "I need you to trust me on this. Can you do that?"

Sakura bit her lip hesitantly. She took a deep breath and studied her shoes. "Alright," she said after a while.

"Let's go." Syaoran exited his car and ushered her out. He took her hand in his and led her into the house.

"Oh god," she muttered under her breath. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and looked up when she felt his grip on her hand tightened and saw him smiling. She took a deep breath as she walked into the living room with all eyes staring at her.

"You're here," Yelan said. She smiled and turned to Nadeshiko as she noticed that the pair were holding hands. She motioned them to sit across them and eyed them.

Sakura looked up and noticed that almost everyone else was there; her parents, Yelan, Fanren, Sheifa and Meiling. Sheifa served them both a cup of tea and went back to her seat.

"So," Fujitaka started. He leaned forward and studied the couple carefully. "I heard that you gathered us here because you have something to tell us. What is it?"

Syaoran turned to Sakura and smiled in assurance. He took a deep breath and faced the elders. "We're here to tell you our decision after dating each other."

Fujitaka squinted. "I need to remind you that you have another week to date before deciding whether the two of you are compatible or not," he said. "You still think that it's best to give us your decision today?"

Syaoran pursed his lips firmly. "Yes," he nodded. "I don't think that we can wait for another week."

Meiling rolled her eyes at his answer.

The elders turned to each other, making a silent assessment and nodded.

"Alright," Yelan said. "What did you two decide?"

"First," Syaoran paused and cast a glance towards Sakura. He leaned forward and studied the elder's reaction. "We have an important confession to make."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at his statement. "What confession?" she whispered with a frown.

"What is it?" Yelan asked impatiently, breaking up their unfinished conversation. Her eyes gazed the couple suspiciously.

"I reckon that we owe you an apology for deceiving you," Syaoran said, and took a deep breath. "The thing is Sakura and I made an agreement when you suggested we date each other a month ago."

Meiling widened her eyes as she heard him. Her mouth gaped open as she wanted to say something, but decided not to. It wasn't appropriate for her to interrupt the elders, she decided. She leaned back, and crossed her arms against her chest, watching the scenario intently.

"Syaoran," Sakura whispered softly. She shook her head lightly, signaling him not to tell them anything about the agreement.

Syaoran smiled and patted her hand to assure her that everything would be alright.

The elders exchanged their glance and turn their attention back towards the couple.

"What kind of agreement?" Yelan finally asked after a few moment of silent.

"We..." Syaoran paused and clenched his fist. "We had an agreement to pretend-dating for a month," he confessed. "When a month passed, we were planning to tell you that we are not suitable for each other."

"What?" Sheifa yelped. "You guys did what?" Her eyes widened.

Fanren shook her head slowly and sighed deeply. "I can't say how disappointed I am, Syaoran."

Syaoran turned to his shoes. "I know," he mumbled.

Sakura licked her lips. "And we're really sorry for deceiving you," she said and swallowed. She looked up and observed the elders. They were quiet. She couldn't analyze what were they thinking right now. They're probably as disappointed as Fanren are.

Syaoran frowned. "But," he said, taking the elders silence as a cue for him to continue. "After a few pretend dates," he paused and turned to Sakura. "I guess, we started to develop feelings for each other."

"Yes," Sakura nodded and turned to her parents. "Mom? Dad? I know that you were probably disappointed and mad at me. But, you need to say something."

Nadeshiko cast a glance towards Yelan and her husband and sighed as she looked up to her daughter. "We already know about the agreement you made, honey," she said and smiled.

"Wait! What?" Sakura said, bewildered. "You guys knew?"

Fujitaka leaned back and nodded softly. "Yes," he admitted.

"How?" Sakura asked with a frown.

"I found out about the agreement when I was tidying up your room during your visit to grandpa," Nadeshiko said.

"So," Sakura bit her lips nervously. "You found out that we're pretending to date from the very beginning? But..." She paused and chuckled. "Why haven't you said anything to me? Aren't you mad or anything?"

"Of course we're mad," Yelan said. "You have no idea how furious I was when your mother told me that little stunt you two were trying to pull," she paused and sent a glare to her son. "And I'm sure that this was all your idea, Syaoran."

Syaoran swallowed. "Yes."

Fujitaka took a deep breath. "I believe that it wasn't entirely Syaoran's fault," he said and turned to his daughter. "Both of you were at fault."

"Yelan and I thought of confronting you two for a few times," Nadeshiko continued. "But your father convinced us not to. Instead of getting mad at you, your father convinced us to get even."

Sakura turned to her father and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We understand why you did that. I mean..." Fujitaka chuckled. "Obviously, you hated the idea of marrying someone you didn't love," Fujitaka said, and cast a glance towards his wife. "So, I didn't think that confronting you for what you did would help."

"Yes," Yelan agreed. "Fujitaka explained that you two would argue against us for setting you up in the dating period and get away with it. So instead of confronting you, we planned to make you two fall in love instead."

Fujitaka nodded. "That is why I advised you to spend more time together and treated him as your friend, Sakura."

"And that's why I convinced you two to spend each day together during lunch," Yelan explained and turned to her son. "But, I didn't expect you to spend time together almost every night."

"I guess," Nadeshiko shrugged. "Our plan to get you two to like each other worked," she said, smiling.

"Wow!" Meiling mouthed silently. She turned to Fanren and Sheifa and noticed that they were as shocked as her.

"Wait," Sakura said with a frown. "This is a conspiracy!"

Syaoran shook his head in disbelief. "Did you scheme to get us to fall in love?"

The elders turned to each other and laughed.

"You could put it that way," Yelan said. Her lips curved into a satisfying smile. It was amusing watching how shocked her son was reacting. "We only did all these because _you_ planned to trick us with your pretend-dating first."

"But the good news is that all your pretend-dating lead you to a real love. After spending time together, we could see that the two of you were unconsciously serious towards each other," Nadeshiko said.

"I can't believe this," Sakura said, and swallowed, trying to absorb what she just heard. She turned to Syaoran and back to the elders. "How can you be positive that we're going to fall for each other? I mean, your plan could've backfire."

"We weren't sure if it was going to work," Yelan said and shrugged. "But, it was worth to try. And I guess the fact that you two weren't in love in the first place helped too," she explained. "Because you didn't like each other, you were able to act neutral and you were able to reveal your true selves unconsciously."

"And you still like each other after all that," Nadeshiko said, smiling. "That's all that matters, right?"

**xxx**

"We're screwed," Syaoran said as he approached Sakura.

Sakura was sitting on one of the bench in the garden, spacing out. She looked up, and smiled as Syaoran took a seat next to her. "I guess we are," she said with a sigh. "I can't believe our parents conspired to get us together," she said. Sakura looked up and gazed his face for a while. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?" Syaoran replied, scooting closer to her.

"Why did you decide to tell them about the agreement?" Sakura asked with a frown. "I mean, everything would go just fine if we didn't tell them anything about the agreement."

Syaoran chuckled. He ran his finger through his hair and his eyes darted to the garden. "I just didn't want our relationship based on lies," he explained. "I just thought that we shouldn't lie to them," he shrugged. "I thought that maybe we would face something horrible without their blessings. We never know how much a parent's wrath would do to us."

Sakura nodded. "I'm glad you told them. Though I was really worried when you mentioned the agreement earlier," she paused and heaved a sigh. "I was never comfortable deceiving my parents like that."

"I know," Syaoran said. He glanced towards the house and he could see through the window that their parents were discussing something in the living room. The last time he checked, the elders were celebrating on how their plan worked. "We ought to thank our parents for conspiring to get us together though."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"Well," Syaoran paused and smirked. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have come this far."

They both stared into each other's eyes and smiled.

Syaoran took both her hands in his and kissed them lightly. "Since everything is all cleared up now, I suggest that we should have a fresh start without any pretense."

Sakura nodded. "Definitely."

"So, I was thinking that we should have a date tomorrow," he said. His eyes gazed into hers, anticipating for the answer. "What do you think?"

Sakura sighed softly. She wanted to leap on him and plant a light kiss on his cheek. But, decided not to as she considered that their parents would be watching. So, instead, she smiled at him. "I'd love to."

**-End of Chapter 16: This is a conspiracy!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I checked out my planner for this story (yes, I have a planner) and was shocked to see that chapter 16 was supposed to be the last chapter! But I wasn't really happy with the overall story (it was sad to see that this is coming to an end). So, I decided to maybe, adding one or two extra chapters plus an epilogue. What do you say?

Please don't forget to review **:)**


	17. I was distracted!

**Author's Note:** I spent the few first days thinking of chapter 17. I'm not really sure what I should write in this chapter (because my planner ended in chapter 16). I hope you'll like this chapter **:)**

**Disclaimer: **I bet you knew that Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

* * *

><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 17: I was distracted!**

* * *

><p>It was five minutes past eleven when Sakura walked down the stairs and met with her parents in the living room. Her father was browsing through some thesis paper from one of his students—her mother sat next to him, reading a book.<p>

"Where are you going?" Nadeshiko asked as she looked up to her daughter. She glanced at the clock and turning back to her. "It's late."

"I, uh," she stammered. Sakura pursed her lips and pointed towards the door. "I'm going out to meet with Syaoran."

Fujitaka turned to his wife, and back to his daughter. "You should invite him in for some tea or something."

"No." Sakura shook her head lightly. "He's here for only a little while. He still has to go back to the hospital after this. He's on call," she explained. She looked at her parents and smiled. "We're just going to hang around outside."

Fujitaka nodded. "Alright. But don't be long. It's not nice for the neighbors to see you two hanging out this late. What will they say?"

Her smile widened. "Don't worry, it'll be a few minutes," Sakura said. She marched towards her parents and gave them a peck on the cheek before walking out. She pushed her gate open and saw her boyfriend waiting for her.

Syaoran leaned on his car, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed and his head tilted down. He immediately looked up when he heard the creaking sound of the gate. His lips curved into a smile as he saw his girlfriend stand before him. She was wearing baby blue sweatpants and a matching sweater. He immediately regretted calling her out as he saw her trying to warm her body by stroking her arms slowly.

"Hey," Sakura greeted. Her lips automatically curved into a really wide smile. Her heartbeat increased furiously at his sight. It has been almost three weeks since they started dating for real and he still got her heart beating like a maniac.

"Hi," Syaoran replied. He walked towards Sakura and pulled her into a hug to warm up her body. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and chuckled.

Sakura looked up from his chest and frowned. "What?"

"You smelled like flowery shampoo," he commented. "I like it better when you smell like vanilla." He paused for a beat before he added, "Or chocolate."

Sakura giggled at his comment and pulled away. "You really need to stop that habit. You sound like a pervert."

"But you're in love with this pervert, right?" he teased, his eyebrow raised in amusement.

"You're right." She laughed a bit and shook her head lightly. "I can't believe I'm in love with a pervert."

"And I love you too," He pulled her close and planted a quick kiss on her forehead.

Sakura sighed in content. She dragged him past the gate and took him to the garden. They both sat on the wooden swings. Sakura looked up and her gaze fell on him. "So," she said after a few minutes of silence between them. "What is this important thing you have to tell me?"

"Nothing." He shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Nothing?" she echoed. Her eyebrow rose. "That's hard to believe, doctor. Considering how busy you were these past few days. And I thought you're on call tonight." Sakura squinted and eyed him suspiciously. "Is something wrong?"

Syaoran leaned back on the swing and smiled. "Nothing is wrong."

"Uh-huh…" Sakura took a few steps back and studied him. "You look tired," she commented. "Have you been working without sleep again?"

"No." It took him five second to answer. His feet moved around, pushing the swings slowly.

"That's an obvious lie," Sakura deadpanned.

"I used to be really good at fibbing," Syaoran said, and chuckled. "But I guess, my fibs don't work around you."

"Promise me you'll take a good care of yourself," Sakura said and sighed worriedly. "And go to sleep once you're off from work."

"Yes, doctor!" Syaoran teased, imitating soldiers' salutation.

"Syaoran." There was warning in her tone.

He laughed. "I just need to see your face and I'll be okay," he said. Syaoran pulled Sakura inwards and rested his head on her small shoulder. "It's like, all my tiredness went away," he admitted and closed his eyes to relish the moment. "Let me stay like this for a little longer."

Sakura smiled at his comment. She lifted her hand and started caressing his messy chestnut hair.

After a short while, Syaoran blinked his eyes open as his pager beeped. He stood up straight and his eyes instantly met with Sakura's emerald orbs. "I fell asleep," he stated the obvious.

"Yeah…"

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I hate to disturb you, and you obviously need some rest."

"How long have I been sleeping?"

Sakura bit her lips. She wanted to massage her shoulder a bit, but she was terrified that he was going to worry. "Ten minutes…"

"I fell asleep for ten minutes?" he said, his eyes widened. Syaoran fished into his pocket as his pager beeped again. He read the messages and turned to Sakura. "I have to go. I'll text you, alright?"

**xxx**

"You know," Eriol said, as he leaned on the counter behind him—his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes trained on Sakura. She was holding her cell phone with a grin on her face. "This is weird."

Sakura looked up, puzzled. "Hmm?" she voiced. "What's weird?"

Eriol shook his head and chuckled. "I have never seen you so attached with your cell phone."

Sakura slid her phone into her jean pocket and frowned. "What are you saying?"

"All I'm saying is that you never had your cell phone so close to you before you dated Li," Eriol said with a smirk plastered on his face. "Not that it's anything bad." He shrugged.

Sakura wiped her hand on a towel behind her and sighed. "You're just jealous because Tomoyo hasn't texted you all day," she said. She picked up a piping bag on the work table and continued to frost some chocolate raspberry cupcakes.

"I am not," Eriol said. "I understand that she has to be out of town and concentrate to produce something amazing to win that designing award." Eriol sighed and marched towards Sakura's worktable. He studied the cupcake on the table and shook his head disapprovingly. He picked up a cupcake, peeled the liner off and took a bite.

Sakura placed her hand on her waist. "Stop that! I counted those!" She turned to her frosted cupcakes and started to count them. "If you miss her, you should take a few days off and visit her in Tokyo. I'd be happy to approve your leave."

"I'd like that," Eriol said, smiling. "But, I don't want to be a distraction."

"Trust me, you won't. I bet she's going to be really happy when you visit her." Sakura side-glanced him. "Besides, Tomoyo has been saying that you were always too busy with work to date her. You're making me sound like a lousy employer, Eriol."

"That's not true," Eriol said defensively. "We dated almost every day."

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah, in my bakery," she said, blankly.

Eriol sighed. "I'm not sure."

"I'll make you a deal then!" Sakura said, clapping her hand with enthusiasm.

Eriol smiled in amusement. His fingers tapped on his chin lightly. "What kind of deal?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Let's have a competition. A match on who can frost these cupcakes faster," she suggested.

Eriol laughed at her idea. "What?"

"If I win," Sakura continued. Her lips curved into a smile. "You'll take a few days off, visit my cousin and spend some time with her in Tokyo. Go on a date or something, make her happy."

"Kinomoto-san," Adam said behind her. He marched towards Sakura with his hand on his waist. "Are you insane?" His hands started to flail around. "You can't have a match during work. It's inappropriate"

"Yes, Adam," Eriol concurred. "Please knock some sense into her."

"Aww, come on. It'll be fun," she persuaded. "We could have the match in the open kitchen and let the customers watch. It'll be a good promotional campaign." Sakura took a deep breath and squinted towards Eriol. "You're not afraid, are you?"

Eriol winced. He turned to Sakura and chuckled. "Are you challenging me?"

"Yes."

"Alright, fine. I'm in." Eriol nodded. "But, what will happen if I win?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "I'll give you a promotion."

"Honey," Steve said with a small sigh. "That won't work. Eriol here has the highest ranking after you in the bakery. You can't promote him any further. A raise would probably be better."

"That's true," Adam nodded in agreement.

"Fine," Sakura bit her lips. "I'll grant you one wish. Anything, as long as it's nothing inappropriate."

"You do realize what you just said, right?" Eriol asked. A smile spread on his face. "You can't back off from it."

Sakura pursed her lips, contemplating. "Yes!"

"Alright then," Eriol said and smiled. "So, how it's going to be?"

Sakura cast a glance towards the board where customized orders from customers are recorded and smiled. "Let's use that," She said, pointing towards the board. "Three hundred Very Vanilla cupcakes need to be frosted for Mrs. Saki, and she's going to pick them up by six. I suggest that we frost one hundred and fifty each."

"Bring it on!"

**xxx**

Syaoran pulled over his car and stepped out. He peeked from the glass window and saw there were many customers inside the bakery. He pushed the glass door open and was instantly greeted by the cheering voices from the staff and customers. He tiptoed to see what is happening in the open kitchen, but managed to see nothing. He turned to the lady beside him and asked her what was happening.

"Oh." The young lady smiled. "Kinomoto-san and Hiiragizawa-san are having a contest on who can frost one hundred and fifty cupcakes faster. Kinomoto-san is leading, of course."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and thanked the lady. He pushed his way through the customers and finally got a better view. His girlfriend was frosting cupcakes. Her hands moved swiftly as she picked up a cupcake, frosted it and placed them in the 'out' tray. The other girls, Risa and Akari stood behind her, cheering.

"Interesting." Syaoran smiled. He crossed his arms and his gaze fell on Sakura. It was obvious to him that she was having fun. He liked the way she smiled when she was happy and how her hair bounced when she laughed.

"Come on, Sakura," Risa cheered. "You're almost there. Eriol is two cupcakes behind you."

Sakura laughed. "I haven't frost cupcakes this fast for a long time," she said. She picked up another vanilla cupcake from the tray and frosted it with vanilla frosting. "I'm starting to think that I'm losing my mojo."

"Go girl!" Steve cheered behind her. "You can do it! You got less than twenty cupcakes to frost. You're going to win this."

"Steve," Eriol said with a sigh. He picked up a vanilla cupcake and frosted it swiftly. "You're cheering the wrong person." He shook his head in disapproval. "You're not supposed to cheer the girls' team."

"But Kinomoto-san is my employer. What will happen if I cheered you on and she decides to fire me for it?" Steve clicked his tongue and smiled. "You're on your own, Eriol."

Eriol cast a quick glance at Sakura and noticed that Adam was standing behind Sakura. "You guys are traitors!"

"Well, don't look at me," Adam said. "I'm supposed to be the judge, here."

"Okay." Risa nodded. "You got ten more cupcakes to frost, Sakura!"

"You can do it, Sakura," Akari cheered. "Look, your boyfriend is here for moral support."

"What?" Sakura looked up at the mention of the word "boyfriend." She gasped the moment her eyes met with Syaoran's. He stood between the crowd in his usual black slacks and forest green shirt. Her heart beat furiously at the thought of how ridiculous she looked before him.

"Hi." Syaoran smiled and waved towards her. Then, his fingers pointed towards the cupcakes before her, signaling Sakura that she still had some cupcakes to frost.

"Sakura!" Risa shrieked, snapping her out from her trance. "Concentrate!"

"Huh?" Sakura stared at the cupcakes before her and nodded. "Right!"

"And!" Adam said loudly as he lifted up both his hand, drawing everyone's attention towards him. His eyes stared nervously at Sakura and Eriol. A couple second later, he dropped his hand on Sakura's side and turned to Eriol. "The winner is Eriol!"

And the crowd started to cheer.

**xxx**

"You lost the match, Sakura," Eriol said with a shrug. "Admit your defeat."

"That's not fair," Sakura said, frustrated with her loss. "I was distracted!"

Eriol turned to Syaoran and nodded in acknowledgement. "I have to thank your boyfriend for distracting you to let me win this match, of course," he said with a grin on his face.

"Come on, Sakura," Syaoran said, patting Sakura gently on her shoulder. "You did your best. That's all that matters, right?"

Sakura turned to Syaoran and pouted. "You should've called before you came."

"Cupcake," Syaoran said with a sigh. "It wasn't really my fault. I've called a few times, and you weren't picking up. You haven't replied any of my texts either," he explained.

Sakura pulled out her cell phone from her jeans and noticed that there were ten missed calls and three messages. They were all from Syaoran. "I was in the middle of a match."

"Exactly." Syaoran shrugged. He took a good look at his girlfriend and touched the end of her hair. "You had some butter cream on your hair," he said, explaining his action.

Sakura swallowed, feeling blood gushing to her brain, and her face reddened. "Thank you." She nodded.

Syaoran wiped his hand on a kitchen towel behind him and smiled. "You're welcome."

"Alright, Eriol," Sakura sighed. She turned to Eriol and gave him a quizzed look. "What do you wish for? Think carefully, because you only get one wish. But nothing inappropriate, okay?"

Eriol adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "I haven't thought much about it," he turned to his other co-workers and raised an eyebrow. "What do you think guys?"

"I know," Akari begin. "Why don't we go to a trip to a hot springs for everyone?"

"I would prefer a raise," Adam said excitedly. "Or a bonus!"

Sakura laughed nervously. "Are you guys trying to make me go bankrupt?"

Eriol shook his head in disappointment. "Good idea contribution, but not so entertaining."

Adam waved his hand. "Your idea of entertainment is way different from ours, Eriol."

"I have an idea!" Steve interjected. "We could ask Kinomoto-san to kiss her boyfriend. That would be entertaining."

"Hey, hey," Sakura said nervously. "I said nothing inappropriate, alright?"

"Girl," Steve said with a sigh. "There is nothing inappropriate about a kiss!"

"I agree," Eriol nodded.

Sakura frowned. "Leave Syaoran out of this," she warned. "Choose something else, Eriol."

"You know," Syaoran said with a smirk. "I don't really mind. After all, I get the chance to kiss you, you know."

"What?" she swallowed. Her face reddened.

"Kiss!" Steve exclaimed.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the others started to chant, causing Sakura to turn to Syaoran and mouthed, "_help."_

Syaoran smiled and pulled her towards him. He planted a kiss lightly on her lips. After a while, his hand cupped her face so that she would stay in place and started to deepen their kiss as Sakura decided to play along. The staffs start cheering and whistling. Syaoran swore he could hear someone mutter, "Someone get them a room, already!"

Sakura bit her lip as they broke apart. His kiss lingered on her swollen lips. She took a deep breath and turned to Eriol. He was holding his phone. In an instant, she knew that Eriol had recorded everything and that he was going to send that recording to Tomoyo. Her mouth broke apart and wasn't able to utter anything.

"You know," Eriol said with a grin. "I never said that my wish would be to see both of you kiss."

"But, you—"

"That was Steve's idea, remember?" Eriol chuckled. "I haven't said anything. So, technically, I still get my wish."

**xxx**

"Well," Sakura said, staring at her shoes. "That was embarrassing."

Syaoran took a quick glance towards Sakura and turn his head to concentration back to the road ahead. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on Sakura's hand, gripping it softly. "It wasn't that bad."

"I can't believe I was manipulated by my staff," Sakura said with a sigh. "And I never expect you to kiss me when I mouthed 'help' earlier."

"You're funny," Syaoran said, smiling. "I guess, that's why I like being with you a lot. You never failed to amuse me. You make me smile and laugh a lot."

"Is that what I am to you? Entertainment?" Sakura asked, her tone teasing.

Syaoran laughed. "Of course not," he said. He brought her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss. "You're much more than that."

"Good," Sakura said, smiling. She rested her head on the headrest and sighed. "So, where are you taking me?"

Syaoran frowned. "I thought we had dinner plans with our parents at your place."

**xxx**

Sakura turned off the heat and plated the beef stir fry with mushroom. She cast a glance towards her mother and gritted her teeth. "Mom," she said after a few moments of silence. "Stop it."

"What?" Nadeshiko said casually. Her lips curved into a smile. She took the plate from Sakura and sprinkled some sliced spring onions on top of the beef stir fry. "What did I do?"

"Stop staring at me," Sakura said with a sigh. "I can't get my work done if you keep staring at me like that. And you're starting to creeps me out with that smile on your face."

"Well." Nadeshiko laughed softly. She took a clean towel and wiped the porcelain plate's rim. "I'm just happy because my daughter is happy." She shrugged. "Is that wrong?"

"Of course not," Sakura said. She took a bowl of diced potato and sprinkled some salt and pepper on them. "Mom, what are you planning?"

Nadeshiko blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Well…" Sakura took an onion, cut it in half and sliced them professionally. "Something usually happens when you gather us like this. You conspired to make me and Syaoran fall in love. I wouldn't surprised if you have something else planned."

"We're not planning anything.

Sakura mixed in the sliced onion in the tomato and turned to her mother. "Really?" She squinted.

"Yes," Nadeshiko confirmed. She wiped her hand on a clean towel and took the plate with beef stir fry in her hand. "Now, come out if you're done with that tomato salad. I'm sure the others are starving."

Sakura sighed as she watched her mother walked out from the kitchen. She took off her apron and let her hair down. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath before she followed her mother with the bowl of tomato salad.

"Everything you made smells really good, Sakura," Yelan complimented as she walked in with the bowl of tomato salad.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled as she placed the bowl on the center and slid into the chair next to Syaoran. "Please, eat."

**xxx**

"We've been thinking," Fujitaka said after dinner. The table has been cleared and the five of them gathered in the living room for some tea. "That perhaps it would be better if we hasten your wedding."

Sakura blinked absentmindedly. "Huh?"

"Well," Fujitaka cleared his throat and turned to her wife. He was worried of how the two would react. "We know that we have agreed to let you kids to date and get to know each other a bit more before marriage. But, we thought that marriage seems really appropriate at this point and the two of you did spend lots of time together."

Sakura exchanged a glance with Syaoran and swallowed.

"After all, isn't marriage is what we planned on the very beginning?" Fujitaka continued.

"Marriage…" Syaoran said after a few minutes of silence. He turned to Sakura and started to imagine them as a married couple. And he loved what he saw in his mind.

"What do you think?" Yelan said to his son. "We don't want to force you into marriage, though. But it would be nice if you two decided to settle down."

Syaoran inhaled and licked his lips. "If you think that it's better if we're married, I guess, I'll go along with it."

"And what about you, Sakura?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I don't know," Sakura said slowly.

"You don't want to get married?" Yelan tested.

"No." Sakura shook her head. "It's not anything like that." Sakura took a deep breath and looked up. It's just that I think everything is moving too fast. The sudden talk about marriage is making me confused and scared."

Yelan leaned forward and her gaze fell on Sakura. "Do you love Syaoran?"

Sakura turned to the man beside her and smiled. "I do love him," she admitted. "But, I'm not sure if I have what it takes to get married right now. And I don't want to commit to marriage until I'm ready."

Yelan exchanged a glance with Nadeshiko and nodded.

"I think," Sakura paused and bit her lower lip. She turned to Syaoran and her gaze fell on him. "Syaoran, I think, I might need some time to consider this marriage thing. Will you wait for me until I'm ready?"

**-End of Chapter 17: I was distracted!-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, I went through your reviews and noticed that Ametyist213 said something about cupcake wars and decided to add in some of that scene – though it's probably different than you imagine... Anyway, I thought that this chapter is a bit rollercoaster. I was a bit hesitant to upload this one. But I still hope that you enjoy reading this. **Please review! **m(_ _)m


	18. Are you proposing to me?

**Author's Chatter:** Happy October everyone! My favorite member from morning musume, Ai-Chan graduated on 30 September and I'm still sad about it. Oh well, have a great weekend and have a great month people :)

**Disclaimer: **Nope! Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>

**Chapter 18: Are you proposing to me?**

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><p>Syaoran slouched on his chair. He took out his iPhone and started dialing a number. He waited for the line to connect and heaved a sigh when the operator told him that the receiver is out of reach. He sent a text message and leaned his head back.<p>

"Sakura?"

Syaoran head tilted up. He grunted when he noticed that his sister, Sheifa, pop out between his door.

"How is she?" Sheifa asked as she walked into the room.

"I don't know." Syaoran shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

Sheifa raised a brow. "She hasn't contacted you?"

Syaoran nodded.

Sheifa took a seat next to him and sighed. "Give her some time. She needs to get away from everything and think clearly. I'm sure she was petrified when her parents brought up marriage."

"I really meant it when I told her to take her time to think carefully," Syaoran said, "but, it's tormenting me when I don't know what she's thinking. And now she hasn't replied to my calls or text messages."

Sheifa chuckled. "I remember when Sou proposed to me five years ago…" She paused and turned to Syaoran. "I was happy and scared at the same time. I love that man, but I wasn't sure that I could be the best woman for him. It took him almost a year before he could convince me to marry him."

"A year?" Syaoran swallowed. The thought of waiting for Sakura for a year or maybe longer, would certainly drive him insane.

Sheifa laughed at her brother's reaction. "But…" She paused and shrugged. "Sou waited for me and I ended up marrying him in the end. And I was glad that he waited for me."

"What if…" He paused and sighed. "What if she changes her mind about marrying me? What if after thinking about it for some time, she decides I'm not good enough for her?"

Sheifa smiled. "I doubt that she's going to change her mind about marrying you. You need to have a lot more faith and trust her a bit more, Syaoran. I'm sure she's just nervous. She'll come around when she's ready."

Syaoran scowled. He wasn't convinced with his sister's speech.

"Well, if you're really worried about all that, why don't you go and visit her at the bakery?" Sheifa suggested. "Talk to her and convince her to marry you like Sou did to me."

Syaoran chuckled. "Perhaps I should do that."

"Perhaps you should," Sheifa agreed. "I'm sure she'll like that."

**xxx**

"It's not like I don't want to get married," Sakura said, as she marched towards the wooden swing in the garden. "It's just that I'm not ready. When Dad brought up the wedding topic, I got scared and nervous."

"Hmm," Touya voiced as he listened to Sakura. He dusted the wooden swing with his hand a bit and handed Sakura a strawberry Popsicle as she settled down on the swing.

Sakura shoved the Popsicle into her mouth and watched her brother sit next to her. "Two months ago, I was single and busy managing my bakery. I just think that everything is moving too fast. My CPU is overloaded. I just need to catch my breath first and let things come naturally." She sighed softly as she remembered that she hadn't contact him for a few days now.

"What's with the sigh?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously. "Nothing."

It's not like she didn't want to contact him. She missed him a lot. It tempted her to press the call button when he called. And she often found herself replying his texts but didn't have the courage to send it to him. She was afraid that he would ask her about marriage. And she certainly wasn't ready to face him.

"I have no idea why Mom and Dad want you to get married right away. You've known him for a month or so. It's too early for you to get married," Touya commented. "So, I think, you're doing the right thing. I'm glad you didn't agree to marry him right away."

Sakura looked up. "You think so?"

"Yes, but…" Touya paused and turned to Sakura. "Early marriage isn't too bad either."

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she noted that her brother had another opinion on marriage.

Touya shrugged and faced his sister. His lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Then perhaps, I could see my niece sooner."

"Oh my god! Touya!" Sakura gasped. Her face reddened as she playfully hit her brother's arm.

Touya laughed at Sakura's expression. He took a deep breath as he recovered and smiled faintly. "I bet my niece is going to look as handsome as I."

Sakura chuckled. "Why on earth would my kids have your looks?"

"Because we're related, that's why," Touya said dryly. "I'm joking." He smiled and ruffled Sakura's hair before he took another bite into his Popsicle. "So, what did that brat say about waiting till you're ready?"

"He told me that he's going to wait. He told me that I may take my time to think thru everything carefully." Sakura paused as she took another lick of her Popsicle. "And Syaoran's not a brat."

Touya smirked. "You never argued when I call him a brat a month ago."

Sakura laughed and nudged her brother on his arm. "That's because a month ago, Syaoran _was_ a brat."

Touya watched Sakura's expression mellow at the mention of his name and he sighed in frustration. "I hate that brat."

Sakura raised her eyebrow and chuckled. "Why? I think you both have a few things in common, like, soccer. He loves it like you do."

Touya rolled his eyes. "Most men like soccer."

"And," Sakura continued, "Syaoran's a really decent man, after you get to know him. He's been really nice to me." She paused and stared her Popsicle. "I really, really like him."

"That's the exact reason why I shouldn't like him," Touya groaned. He took another bite off of his Popsicle and turned to his sister. "Because I know that, that brat is going to take my precious sister away from me."

Sakura shook her head and laughed softly. "You're overreacting. It's not like he's going to kidnap me and take me to another country so that we can never see each other again."

"But still," Touya took a sharp breath, "I'm going to be really lonely when you're married."

"You go all over the world with Yukito for that traveling magazine," Sakura said and wrinkled her nose. "I should be the one who says that. I got a bit lonely when you went away for work."

Touya grinned. "Really?"

"Really." Sakura nodded. "You seem like you have a lot of fun traveling here and there. I'm envious," she sighed. "I always wanted to go on an adventure and travel or something like that."

Touya finished his Popsicle. "Well then," he paused and adjusted his body to face Sakura. "Maybe you just need a long vacation to clear your mind. Maybe you would be able think clearly and see things differently about marriage if you're in different places."

"I can't," Sakura grunted. "I have a bakery to manage. I can't leave them for a long vacation. It's not a good idea."

"That's true," Touya said with a shrug. "I have an idea. Why don't we go for a couple rounds of laser tag? We haven't played a game of laser tag for a while now. I'm sure it will help you to get some things off your mind."

"Laser tag?" Sakura lips curved into a smile as she remembered the last time she played a game of laser tag was with Syaoran. "I can do laser tag. Let's do that tomorrow."

"Sakura!"

Both Touya and Sakura looked up and saw their cousin, Tomoyo, marching towards them.

"You're back?" Sakura said. Her eyebrow arched. "I thought you had to stay a few more days in Tokyo for work?

"Of course I'm back," Tomoyo replied, "I had to. I finished up everything to see you. You called three days ago and told me that you might get married sooner than expected. And I've been eager to talk to you about that video that Eriol—" She paused as she noticed Sakura shake her head frantically. "What?"

"What video?" Touya interrupted.

"Oh," Tomoyo said, smiling sheepishly. "Hi, Touya! I didn't notice you there."

Touya frowned. "What video?"

"Nothing," Sakura said, almost too quickly.

"Yeah," Tomoyo agreed. "It's nothing. It's a girly video actually," she said, waving her hand to dismiss the matter. "You wouldn't be interested."

"Alright," Touya said, watching the girls suspiciously.

Tomoyo bit her lip and folded her arms across her chest. "So," she said awkwardly. "What's going on here?"

"Touya wants to play a few rounds of laser tag tomorrow," Sakura told her. "Would you like to join us?"

**xxx**

"What do you mean you haven't contact him since that night?" Tomoyo said. Her laser gun swaying on her side. Her wide eyes pierced Sakura. "It's been a week, Sakura!"

"Four days," Sakura corrected her.

Tomoyo decided to have a little chat with her cousin regarding her marriage during the game. Fortunately for them, Touya and Yukito had separated from them when they decided that the girls would attack the other team from left, and the boys from the right.

"What is wrong with you? What were you thinking? Are you insane?"

"Maybe I am insane," Sakura murmured with a sigh. She came here to clear her mind about marriage, and now her cousin wouldn't stop bothering her about it. "But what am I supposed to do, Tomoyo?" she asked as she peeked at the other team behind the wall.

"Act normally! Isn't that something that a couple would do?" Tomoyo shrugged. "Look out!" she yelled, yanking her cousin behind the wall as she saw the other team aim at them.

"I don't know what I should do, Tomoyo. I can't act normally. I mean, every time I want to contact him, I remember that he's waiting for me and I need to give him an answer when I'm ready," Sakura said with a sigh. "And I don't think I'm ready."

"I understand that you want to take things slower, considering that the two of you have been in a relationship for a month," Tomoyo said, "but, I think the whole talk that you're not ready is bullshit, because I think you are ready for this. I think you're just trying to avoid this marriage thing."

Sakura peeked behind a wall, aimed towards the other team and took a shot. "I'm not trying to avoid anything," she mumbled.

Tomoyo crept swiftly towards the next wall, followed by Sakura. She looked up and saw Touya signaling them to march towards the other team's flag. Yukito wasn't in sight. He probably got eliminated from the game. She replied Touya with a thumbs' up and peeked towards the flag.

"Well, you can't just avoid him forever," Tomoyo said. "Do you know how he might feel when you avoid him like that? He'll probably be singing, 'baby I will wait for you, cause I don't know what else I can do.'"

Sakura grunted. "Isn't that Elliott Yamin's Wait for you?"

"What are you afraid of, Sakura?"

Sakura sucked in some air and leaned on the wall, facing her cousin. "Everything," she said. "What if I can't focus on my marriage? I mean, I still have to focus on my bakery. What if I can't focus on both? What if—" She paused and swallowed. "I'm having lots of dilemma."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes as she crept towards the other wall, shooting another enemy in between and failed. "If you're scared and nervous about everything, you just need to tell him. Share with him your thoughts. Isn't that what a couple should do? Share?"

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm sure he would understand if you tell him everything," Tomoyo told her. "Don't keep him waiting for too long, Sakura. Waiting can be really, _really_, painful. You need to see him as soon as possible."

"I know…"

"So, when are you going to see him?"

"I'm not sure," Sakura said reluctantly. "I'll see him when I'm ready."

"And when is that going to happen?" Tomoyo asked in frustration. "I thought you told me that it's not good to run away from your problems?"

Sakura frowned. "When did I say that?"

"When Eriol told me that he likes me and I sort of avoided him like you're doing now," Tomoyo retorted. She squinted and studied Sakura's face. "You're not going to change your mind to see him anytime soon, are you?"

"Look, can we focus on this game for a bit? I'm going to snatch their flag; can you cover for me, Tomoyo?" Sakura said, she looked around for any sign of the other team and decided to run for the flag. But instead, she tripped on something and fell down on the ground.

**xxx**

Syaoran scowled as Chiharu dragged him to the general department. "A patient?" He asked impatiently. His brow arched. "Why would I have to attend to a patient? Do I look like a physician to you?" he said, casting a glance towards the clock. "I'm off work, Chiharu. And I have somewhere I need to go."

"Oh come on," Chiharu said, pleading. "Stop acting cranky because Sakura hasn't been coming here for a few days. Look," she heaved a sigh, "I promise that it won't be long. Besides, the patient requested to see you."

"Why would a patient request to see me?" Syaoran paused and turned around to Chiharu. His hand folded over his arm. "Now, tell me the truth, Chiharu. What's wrong?"

"Okay." Chiharu raised her hand in defeat. "If I tell you that your girlfriend is waiting for you in that room, will you go and attend to her?"

Syaoran frowned. "Sakura?"

"Yes." Chiharu nodded. "Do you have another girlfriend I'm not aware of?"

Syaoran spun around and marched towards the examiner room. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"

Chiharu rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be a secret—a surprise for you."

"What happen to her?" Syaoran asked worriedly.

"She sprained her ankle," Chiharu told him with a sigh. "I found her and her cousin in the lobby and brought her here since the room was unoccupied. Don't worry about anything. I've talked to Doctor Mio and she said she'll let you use the room."

Syaoran stood before the examiner room and watched Chiharu walked away. He pushed the door lightly and saw three people in the room; his girlfriend was sitting on the examiner bed and her brother and cousin stood next to her.

"I still can't believe you would do that to me, Tomoyo," Sakura said, massaging her ankle lightly. "I was really close to reaching that flag before you purposely tripped me, causing me to fall."

"Now, why would I do that to my cousin?" Tomoyo said innocently. She looked up at Touya and shook her head. "Don't listen to her. She probably hit her head hard from that fall. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Sakura chuckled. "What are you—" Her sentences were cut off when she heard Syaoran cleared his throat. She looked up and her gaze met his. He was dressed in black pants, pastel green shirt and an algae green tie with yellow stripes. She held her breath and looked everywhere else.

"Li," Touya said, acknowledging his presence.

Syaoran nodded towards Touya and marched towards the table. He picked up a file and read the details. He frowned when he noticed that the file had a different patient name on it. He placed the file back on the table and turned to Sakura who refused to look him in the eye. He knew that she didn't come to meet him willingly. "What seem to be the problem?" he asked calmly.

"We were playing a game of laser tag," Touya explained. "And my clumsy little sister here fell down and we think she sprained her ankle."

"And I think Sakura might have hit her head on the wall during her fall," Tomoyo added. "You might want to check that as well. Have her held up in the hospital for a few days or something."

"My head is fine," Sakura said before she turned to Tomoyo. Her eyes squinted dangerously toward her and mouthed, 'I'm going to kill you!'

Tomoyo shuffled towards Sakura and leaned closer. "You can thank me later," she whispered. "And talk to him. Be nice and sort everything out, alright?" Tomoyo stood up and looked at Touya. "Touya," she called. "Maybe it would be better if we step out and look for Yukito. Li can take care of Sakura."

"What are you doing?" Touya said in his low tone.

"I'm helping them! They obviously need to talk. I think Sakura is insane for avoiding him and this marriage thing," Tomoyo whispered. "And we should leave them alone if we want the best for her."

Touya squinted. "Did you _really_ trip her on purpose?"

Tomoyo smiled innocently. "I have no idea what are you talking about."

"Why would you do that?"

Tomoyo sighed. "Let's talk about that once we got out, Touya."

Touya sighed as he walked towards the exit. "I'm starting to think that lunacy runs in the family," he murmured and shook his head.

"Come on," Tomoyo said casually, tugging him on his sleeve. "I'm thirsty. Let's get something to drink first. Sakura can call us when she's done with her check up."

"Wait!" Sakura said. She stood up abruptly and felt pain throbbing her ankle. "Ow! Ow!"

"Sakura," Syaoran called out with a sigh as Tomoyo and Touya exited the room. "Sit down."

Sakura turned around and noticed Syaoran was watching her. His hands folded over his chest and he didn't seem happy. She obeyed his instruction and sat on the bed. Her eyes followed him as he pulled a chair and sat down, facing her.

Syaoran stretched out his hand, motioning Sakura to lift her leg to him. He took her left leg in his hand and started to examine her ankle. "Does it hurt?" he asked as he noticed that she was biting her lips from pain.

"A little bit," she said, softly. Her eyes watched him cautiously. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" she yelped in pain when he pressed on some joint on her ankle. "That definitely hurt."

Syaoran slid his chair towards the small refrigerator and took out an ice bag. Then, he slid his chair back towards her and began to apply the ice on her ankle. "You need to apply some ice for twenty minutes to reduce the pain when you got home."

"Okay," she said meekly.

"And don't forget to take a few days off your feet," he said. His attention was still on her sprained ankle. "You don't want to add any unnecessary pressure to it."

Sakura bit her lip hesitantly. "Are you mad at me?"

"I'm going to prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication for you to reduce pain," he said, ignoring her question.

Sakura's gaze fell on her foot. Syaoran was still applying some ice on it. "You know…" She licked her lips. "I can apply the ice by myself if you're busy—" She paused when she noticed his piercing eyes. "Or not..."

"Are you trying to avoid seeing me?"

"No!" Sakura said quickly. "I'm not."

"Good," Syaoran stood up, placed the ice bag into the basin and washed his hands with soap. He walked towards the table and fetched some equipment before he returned to Sakura and start to wrap her ankle with a bandage. Then, he stared at her head. "Should I examine your head as well? Your cousin said you bumped your head on the wall."

"It's fine. It's not bleeding or anything," she said as Syaoran gently pulled her head inwards and started to examine her head.

"Just how exactly did you get yourself injured?"

Sakura sighed. "My crazy cousin purposely tripped me, and I was knocked onto the wall and rolled to the ground. I was lucky I didn't land flat on my face," she said, causing Syaoran lips to curve into a smile. But of course, she wasn't able to see that as he was still examining her head.

"Your head's seems fine," he said after a while. "Do you have a headache, feel nauseous or something?"

She shook her head lightly. "Nope. I'm okay."

Syaoran took a few steps back and cast a glance at his wristwatch. "I'm done with my shift. I'll take you home."

"Oh, that's alright," Sakura said, declining his offer. "I'm sure the others are waiting for me."

"Well, tell the others I'll take you home," Syaoran said with a sigh. "I'm sure they'll understand. I need to talk to you anyway."

**xxx**

Syaoran had decided to take Sakura out and the couple had hot dogs in the park for dinner not too far from the hospital. Both were staring elsewhere as their thoughts were preoccupied with something else.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura said nervously after a few minutes of silence between them. "I'm sorry for avoiding you for the past few days since our parents brought up the marriage thing. I tried calling you a few times, but I hung up before I even finished dialing. I'm not sure what I wanted to say to you. I mean, obviously, there's a lot of things to say, but—"

"Would you have still came over to meet me if you weren't injured?" Syaoran calmly asked before Sakura could continue to go on and on.

Sakura stiffened at his question. She swallowed and nodded slowly. "Of course."

"Really?" he raised a brow.

Sakura bit her lip hesitantly. "I missed you."

"And yet, you were unable to return my calls or messages," he commented.

"Right…"

"Why do you have to do that?" Syaoran asked with a sigh. He looked at her and their gaze met. "I don't really mind if you think that we shouldn't see each other for a while. But, at least reply to my messages. Don't avoid me. I can't know what's wrong if you don't talk to me."

"I didn't know what to say to you," she confessed. "I got freaked out when I thought of you and marriage—I was scared."

Syaoran raised a brow. "Of me?"

"Everything," Sakura said, almost whispering. "What if the feelings change? I mean, we only know each other for two months. What if we decide that we don't like each other anymore after marriage? What if I'm not the perfect one for you?"

His gaze softened. "No one expects you to be perfect, Sakura. I don't expect you to be perfect for me. Nor do I think myself perfect for you," Syaoran said as he leaned into his chair, taking a good look at her face. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might be as scared as you are?"

"No," Sakura swallowed. "Are you as frightened as I am?"

"Of course I am," he replied. "I can't predict the future. I don't know how everything is going to turn up. But as I told you before we start dating for real, I'm willing to give our relationship a try. If we never take a risk or a chance, we'll never know. And I thought you wanted to give it a chance too."

"I do want to give it a chance," Sakura said and sighed. Her eyes darted towards the ground. "I'm sorry, I know what I did was stupid and selfish. Will you forgive me?"

"I'm not mad at you, you know," he told her. "I understand that you need some space and time to think things over. I did tell you that I would wait until you're ready, didn't I? But if you're having doubts or you're scared, talk to me. Maybe we can sort things out together. Just don't leave me hanging."

She nodded cautiously. "Alright."

"Now…" Syaoran cleared his throat and leaned forward. His eyes gazed into hers, searching for her sincerity. "Will you promise me that you'll talk things over if anything happens?"

Sakura nodded again. "I promise. I'll do my best."

"Good," Syaoran smiled, bringing relief to Sakura. "We should go now. I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

"Wait," Sakura cried. Her hand grabbed his arm before he could stand up from his seat. "I need to clarify something with you. It's been bothering me for a few days now."

Syaoran gazed at her cautiously. "Okay." He nodded, and adjusted his sitting position. "This is a good start. What is it?"

"Well…" Sakura paused and rubbed her hand against her neck. "I'm not really sure how I should say this."

"What?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you'd marry me because you like me."

Syaoran flinched. Then, slowly, his lips grew into a roguish smile. "Are you proposing to me?" he teased, watching her face turned bright red. "Because, that's supposed to be my role."

"N-no," she stammered. Her arms flailing around as she tried to deny. "That's not what I meant."

His eyes flickered in amusement. "What then?"

"You see," she paused, trying to figure out the best way to deliver what she wanted to say to him. "I know that we started dating each other because of our parents. So, I was wondering if you agreed to marry me because our parents want us to."

Syaoran chuckled at her question. "Is that why you're having doubts? Were you worried that I agreed to our parents simply because they wanted us to get married?"

Sakura sighed. "Well, sort of. It's one of those things"

"What do you think?" he tested.

"I don't know." She shrugged timidly.

"Sakura, I agreed to marry you because I love you," Syaoran confessed. He closed his eyes for a brief second and sighed. "Look, I don't have any flowers or a ring with me right now. But, I'll do this because I want you to trust me a bit more," he took her hand in his and kissed it lightly. He looked up and his eyes trained on hers. "Kinomoto Sakura, will do me the great honor of marrying me?"

Her breath stopped for a few seconds.

"I'm not asking you to marry me right away, of course," he told her. "We can take things slowly between us. Plan everything carefully."

"I—I—" Sakura swallowed, trying to get rid of the nonexistent lump in her throat.

"I gave you some time to consider marriage and you avoided me for days. So, I'm not going to let you go until you give me a reply because I don't want the same thing to happen again," Syaoran said. His smile widened. "Well?"

She tightened her grip on his hand and took a deep breath before she looked up to meet his eyes. "Yes. I'll marry you."

**-End of Chapter 18: Are you proposing to me?-**

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, it turns out that Sakura been avoiding Syaoran for a few days because she got nervous thinking of marriage. I've been thinking that these two need to have some conflict to strengthen their relationship. But I didn't want it to have anything with lots of emotion, like angst genre (since I'm not good at it). I wanted the story to be a light romantic comedy (with a hint of craziness), so, this is what I could think of.

This is probably the longest chapter I wrote. But I still thought that they're short. What do you think of this chapter? I really hope you enjoy this one. **Please leave me some love and reviews! **m(_ _)m


	19. Epilogue: This is our love nest!

**Author's Note: **The ending is here~

**Disclaimer:** Card Captor Sakura isn't mine. The story is.

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><p><strong>Until You're Mine<strong>  
><strong>Epilogue: This is our love nest!<strong>

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><p>"No!"<p>

Sakura had her hands on her hips. There was frustration on her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Why not?" Her eyes popped open. "It's my wedding cake, damn it! Let me see it, Eriol!"

"Nope."

"How about a peek?"

Eriol grinned. "I can't do that. It would ruin the surprise!"

"I hate surprises," she mumbled.

"Sakura," Eriol called with a sigh, "you have to trust me on this. How am I supposed to work on your wedding cake if you keep popping up here and disturbing my work?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. "It's my kitchen. My bakery. Of course I can pop up whenever I like."

"True." He nodded. "But you also agreed to stay out of your kitchen for three days for me to finish the cake." Eriol cast a glance towards his wristwatch and grimaced. "And I have less than twenty four hours to finish it."

"Please?"

Eriol laughed—an evil laugh in Sakura's opinion. "I said, 'no.'"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "You're mean."

"Call me whatever you want, Sakura. I'm not going to let you peek at your own wedding cake," Eriol told her. He turned towards Syaoran and his eyes turned pleading. "Li, will you please take your fiancée away from here?" He bit his lip as he noticed that the man was laughing at them. "I'm serious."

"I'm sorry," Syaoran finally said. "I can't help but to enjoy the argument the two of you were having. It's very entertaining."

"If you don't take her away from here, I swear that the two of you won't be having a wedding cake on your wedding," Eriol threatened. "I'm sure it's going to be entertaining when Sakura goes berserk."

"Alright." Syaoran raised his hands in defeat. He turned to Sakura and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We're going, Cupcake."

Her eyes widened. "But the cake!"

"Let him finish the wedding cake," Syaoran told her. "We still have other things to deal with. Your cousin wanted to see you and finalize your dress, your mother wanted you to see the hall and we have a few other things we need to settle with."

"Alright." Sakura sighed as Syaoran pulled her away from the kitchen. She turned towards Eriol and squinted dangerously. "This is not over, Eriol. I'm going to get my revenge when you're married."

Eriol laughed at her remark. "I'll just have to make sure that you won't be in charge of my wedding cake, then?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Sakura gasped. She twirled her body and tried to march towards Eriol, only to find Syaoran pulling her by the waist, prevented her from going back to the kitchen. "Syao—"

Her words were cut off when he pressed his lips on hers. He smiled at her when they broke from the kiss—her face turned red as she clasped her hand over her mouth. He found it cute how she would always be so shy around him after all these months they've been together.

"If you don't stop arguing with him," Syaoran turned and nodded towards Eriol, "I'm going to kiss you again." He paused and gave her a smirk. "And I know how much you hate public affection."

**xxx**

Syaoran's gaze fell on Sakura as he pulled out a chair and sat down with his legs and arms crossed. She was with her mother, walking throughout the garden, discussing more about their wedding details. He looked around the garden and noticed that the others were busy preparing for their wedding, the chairs been arranged and decorated with white cloth and pink ribbons.

"So…" Touya appeared behind him. He pulled a chair and joined to sit next to Syaoran. "Are you nervous?" His eyes darted towards Sakura.

Syaoran gave him a faint smile and nodded. "A little bit."

"You should be," Touya said with a smirk on his face. "If you make my Sakura unhappy, I'm going to bury you alive—What the hell?" Touya cursed as he felt someone smacked him hard on his shoulder. He tilted his head up and found Fanren with her hands on her hips. "What did you do that for?"

"Stop threatening my little brother, Touya," Fanren scolded. "And stop running away from your chores. Aren't you supposed to help the others with the chairs?"

"I'm done with those," Touya said with a sigh.

"Well guess what? There are more chairs back there. If you're done with that too, please help Feimei with the linens. We haven't got a lot of time to finish this, Touya. The wedding's tomorrow and there are still a lot of things to do."

"Alright!" Touya said as he stood up. He mumbled something, rolled his eyes and disappeared behind the building.

"And you," Fanren said, turning to Syaoran, "stop slacking around. It's your wedding, damn it! Make yourself useful and help us here!"

Syaoran smiled apologetically to his sister and stood up from his chair, taking his chance to run away from her. "I'd love to," he said, watching Fanren squinted towards him. "But I need to pick up a few things after this."

"I'm sure everything will turn out great," Syaoran heard his mother say as he approached them. "We've got everything under control. The caterers will be here, the videographer confirmed that his team will be here early in the morning, the band's settled, your dress is taken care by your cousin—" Yelan paused and heave a satisfaction sigh. "It's all taken care of, Sakura."

Sakura nodded. "Alright," she said, nervously. She turned to Syaoran for a bit as he stood next to her. "I'm just really, really nervous about tomorrow."

"Don't be," Nadeshiko said. "I'm sure everything's fine."

"Mom," Fuutie said as she appeared with a clipboard in hand. She seemed panicked and breathless. "Don't panic, but the florist called two minutes ago and she made a last minute cancellation. Can you believe that?"

"WHAT?" Sakura cried and started to hyperventilate. "No! She can't do this to me. The wedding's tomorrow!" She paused and turned to her mother. "Mom, what are we going to do now?"

Yelan sighed, turned to his son and nodded.

"Let's go," Syaoran said as he pulled her arm.

"Where are we going? We can't go anywhere, Syaoran. The flowers—"

"Fuutie will handle the flowers," he interjected and turned towards his sister. "Right?"

"Right!" Fuutie nodded and turned to Sakura. "Don't sweat, Sakura," she said, flashing a reassurance smile. "I'll deal with this right away and make sure the flowers are there tomorrow."

**xxx**

"Relax," Syaoran said for the umpteenth time. "Everything is going to be fine tomorrow."

Sakura looked at him nervously. Syaoran was focusing on the road as he drove his car. "Why do you seem so relax?" She looked through the window and frowned as she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we going, Syaoran?"

"I'm kidnapping you," Syaoran said. He turned to Sakura and laughed a bit when she gave him a questioning look. "Relax. You need to start trusting me, Sakura."

Sakura's gaze fell on her engagement ring. "I do trust you," she said and looked up. "But you're making me nervous. Where are we going exactly?"

"I wanted to show you something." He smiled. "Calm down. We're almost there."

Sakura blinked the moment Syaoran pulled his car. She turned to Syaoran and raised a brow. "Where are we? What are we doing here?"

"Come on," Syaoran said, ignoring her question. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out from his car. Then, he went towards Sakura's side and assisted her out. "This is our home. What do you think?" he asked, pointing towards a two-story house before them. He led her forward, unlocked the door and they both stepped into the house.

"It's beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed. Her mouth agape and her green eyes sparkled as she observed the house. She followed Syaoran to the living room, the kitchen and the bedroom.

"This is our love nest!" Syaoran said with mischievous smile as they both stepped into the master bedroom.

"W-what?" Sakura stuttered. Her cheek turned bright red. "Syaoran!" she cried in embarrassment.

His smile widened as he watched her wander into the room, checking out the bathroom and balcony. He walked behind Sakura and encircled his arms around her waist. His face buried between her neck and shoulder as he breathed in her scent. "You like it?"

"Yes." She nodded. "It's lovely."

"I'm glad you like it," he said, pulling her closer. "This is your last day as a single lady. How do you feel about that?"

Sakura laughed softly and twirled around to face him. Her hands found their way to his waist. "Now that I think about it…" She paused and looked at him in the eye. "I suppose it's a bit strange. And how do_you_ feel?"

"I'm happy," he told her. "I finally got you to agree to marry me."

Sakura frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Cupcake," Syaoran said with a sigh, "I had to ask you at least fifty times before you said you were ready for marriage."

"Fifty times?" Sakura giggled. "Come on, it couldn't be that bad? You're exaggerating."

"You can't change your mind about this marriage now, alright?" Syaoran said. He leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead.

"I know," Sakura mumbled before she tilted her head, and tiptoed to kiss him lightly on his lips. "I won't change my mind." She took a deep breath and kissed him again. "I love you."

**xxx**

"Oh my god!" Tomoyo said as she started to hyperventilate. "You're married! You finally married! I can't believe you're married, Sakura!"

"I know, I almost can't believe I'm a married woman myself." Sakura smiled and pulled her cousin into a hug. "Thank you, Tomoyo." She pulled away from her and twirled around. "The dress is really pretty. Everyone has been complimenting it."

"I know." Tomoyo nodded between her sniffs. "I'm just very good at it."

Sakura looked at her dress. It was an A-line wedding dress with French lace sleeves. The dress was complimented with pastel pink ribbon around her waist. Her hair was tied into a simple bun with small, white flowers tucked neatly on her hair and a few strands of hair fell down to frame her face.

She looked around her and watched everyone enjoying themselves in the wedding party. Their parents were talking together, laughing—probably enjoying and celebrating that their matchmaking plan succeeded. Her brother, Touya, stood in the corner with Yukito and Fanren. Sheifa was there, sitting on the chair accompanied by Meiling, Aiko and her husband as they ate the wedding cake. And Syaoran was seen conversing with her grandpa. Her friends and staff were all there.

The wedding cake! Eriol had made her a three tiers vanilla cake with chocolate ganache filling. It was covered with white fondant and decorated with small, pink sakura blossoms made of sugar. The flowers! She didn't know how Fuutie did it, but the flowers were all there.

"Congratulation," Eriol said as he approached. He stood next to Tomoyo and winked.

"Thank you." Sakura beamed. "Beautiful cake."

"Of course," Eriol nodded. "It was designed by Tomoyo," he said, pulling her closer towards him. "Who would've known that she could be an amazing cake designer too?"

Tomoyo giggled. "There are a lot of things I could amaze you with, Eriol."

The three of them made small talk before Syaoran appeared beside Sakura. "Excuse me," he said with a smirk. "But, I believe it's time for me to snatch my bride away. We need to spend lots of time together."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "You'll get plenty of time to spend with her on your honeymoon, Li!"

Syaoran laughed at Tomoyo's remark and led Sakura to the center of the dance floor as the band started to play Thelma Aoyama's Zutto. He twirled her around, took her hand and placed it on his shoulder. His arm was on her waist. "Let's see if your dancing improved."

Sakura pouted. "Stop teasing me!"

"What's on your mind?" Syaoran asked, as he watched Sakura's blissful smile.

Sakura shrugged. "I'm just happy," she told him as his arms tightened on her waist. She tilted her head a bit and her gaze fell into his. "What did ylandpa talked about?"

"He told me that he wants to see his great grandchild as soon as possible." He grinned, watching her face turned nervous. "We have a lot work to do to make his wish came true, don't you agree?"

"Stop it!" Sakura said, hitting him playfully on his shoulder.

"When we're alone, I'm going to show you how I enjoy my cupcake," Syaoran said.

"Hm.," Sakura gave him a quizzical look. "And you can't show it to me now?"

"Nope." Syaoran shook his head. "But I can tell you how."

Sakura raised her brow. "Tell me."

"Well…" Syaoran paused. His eyes turned teasing. "First, I would lick the frosting." He paused again and planted a kiss on her lips. "Then, slowly, I'd tear the cupcake liner. And then, I would—"

"Syaoran," Sakura interjected. She swallowed and studied his face for a brief second. "Were you really talking about cupcakes?"

He smiled roguishly. "What do you think?"

She swallowed. "I don't know."

"I guess, you just have to find that out when we're really alone," he said with a shrug.

"Syaoran," Sakura said exasperatedly, pulling away from him. Her face turned red from embarrassment.

"Cupcake," Syaoran said between his laugh. He pulled her closely to preventing her from pulling away again. "I'm sorry." He smiled.

Sakura clenched her jaw. She watched his face for a brief second and sighed in defeat. "Apology accepted." She rested her head on his chest and exhaled. "I guess, now that I'm married to you, I'm stuck to you forever."

"I guess you are."

**xxx**

"Look at them," Nadeshiko said to her husband. "I'm just happy that they're happy," she said, sighing contently.

Fujitaka watched his daughter and her husband. They looked happy together. "I can't believe we managed to work this thing out. It started with an arrange marriage and turned to a complot to make them fall in love."

"We turned out to be really good matchmakers."

Fujitaka chuckled. "We are."

"You know…" Nadeshiko paused and turned to her husband. "Our son, Touya is still single. Perhaps we can play our role as matchmakers again. What do you think?"

Fujitaka smiled. "I think it's a great idea."

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><p><strong>- Epilogue: This is our love nest!-<strong>

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><p>1. It ended! This is the first long shot fanfiction I completed. I'm actually really happy with my accomplishment.<p>

2. I'd like to thank my readers for reading this fiction, submitting your reviews and adding this story into your favorite and alert list. You're my inspiration. And thank you for staying with me throughout this journey. It's been fun! And I love you guys!

3. I would like to thank Sakura-chan Master of the Clow for beta editing Until You're Mine. You've been a really great help.

4. Also, I've started a new SS fiction entitled '**Falling Over Me**'. It features Aiko as Syaoran's niece. I hope you would check that story as well.

5. Uh... I really hope that you enjoy the ending. Please tell me what you think by clicking the review button **m(_ _)m **and see you in my other story!


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